Growing up an orphan in the care of the Benedictine Sisters in post World War II Germany, Lina clings to the simplicity of her sheltered life, even as she longs for a taste of adventure and an identity of her own. As a college student, on a trip to the Louvre in Paris, she becomes transfixed- haunted even- by a 17th century Spanish painting by Bartolome Esteban Murillo. Lefebvre captures the hurt and deception as seen through the eyes of an intrepid college student. Stumbling upon art crimes perpetuated by the Nazis and their cohorts, the novel’s heroine refuses to turn a blind eye to the sins. She dares to investigate and expose, with help from two intriguing yet wholly dissimilar romantic interests, a sordid past that others would just as soon forget.

A dramatic thriller, Obsessing Rufina is Lina’s journey to reconcile her proper place in history. But, will her discoveries push her past the brink of despair? Or will knowing who she really is finally bring her the peace she needs?