How does one begin their life anew after retirement and also begin a new romance with someone you’ve been married to for 20 years? Claude Nougat explores the answers to these questions in Crimson Clouds. As Robert steps away from 35 years of service as a UN manager in humanitarian aid, a career in which he had distinguished himself, he wonders exactly what to do with his life. On the one hand, he could become a highly paid consultant, but on the other he might return to the artistic ambitions of his youth. His wife, Kay, is a contemporary artist and quite successful in her own right. Her work is trendy and fresh and his is what she calls “academic.” They seem to be like two ships passing in the night as they argue over art and the various things which cause animosity between married couples. Among those things is a deep secret of Kay’s which has the potential to break their marriage apart. As Robert struggles to find his way in a second career and Kay struggles to allow him to share in hers, their marriage will either collapse or come together as they fall in love anew.

In Crimson Cloud, Claude Nougat explores the deep feelings of two people who are at different points in their lives, but are trying to make them blend into one. The depth of their thoughts and emotions, wonderfully contrasted by alternating between the two in first person point of view, allows the reader to change skins, as it were, and understand both antagonists. Although a little bit slow-moving at times, not for those without the patience to explore, nonetheless, the honest examination from both sides of a difficult situation and the depth of development is what makes this novel come alive. Honest, profound and emotional, Crimson Clouds will have you exploring some of your own emotions and question the meaning of your own life as you take a leisurely stroll through the lives of Kay and Robert.

Crimson Clouds by Claude Nougat is the story of Robert. Robert decides to indulge in his childhood dream of becoming an artist after his retirement as a UN manager. His wife, Kay, is an art lover and also the owner of a contemporary art gallery in New York. They have numerous arguments on art and, along with their different views on art, their marriage is also slowly affected by a secret that Kay has been hiding. The romance resonates with the current times, showing how outside complexities can actually create problems in one's household.

The story deals with the lives of two people who share a common interest but opposite views on it, which sees them drifting apart. Robert's journey takes us through Sicily, Umbria, Paris, and London. The different viewpoints of Robert and Kay in art are clearly described by the writer. This is also, metaphorically speaking, about the differences in their thinking and personalities. This doodle, a few lines by Robert, gives readers a premonition about their troubled marriage:

Crimson clouds like round bellies
Roll in the sky on the way to oblivion
Lips on a crystal glass are gone
The memory of a lost love
Lingers on…

The writing is beautiful. The scenes unfold vividly in front of you, full of color and life, like a painting. The two women with whom Robert discovers passion reflect the free-spirited nature of Robert's journey. Will Kay and Robert be able to work out the differences in their marriage and be happy again?