Ebook: 384 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction, WWII,
Publisher: 14 May 2024 Storm Publishing
Source: NetGalley - My Kindle
First Sentences: On the Rialto Bridge a wind stirred. It set the paintings and prints outside the little gallery flapping, as they waited for the few tourists still defying the rumours of war, and eager to take home a memento of Venice and its
Review Quote: I always love Juliet Greenwood’s books, partly because of the gorgeous qualities of her writing, but also because the very things she likes to explore are those which interest me. Goodreads Reviewer
Setting: Venice, Italy
My Opinion:
I have read a few, but by no means all of Juliet Greenwood's novels. The first one was nearly twenty years ago, although she is an author I have always been aware of I have not read as many of her books as I would like to have done.
Set in an Italy ravaged by war, the story follows the protagonist Kate Arden as she yearns to discover why she has never been told who her biological mother is. Unaware of each other's search Sofia her birth mother is also trying to find out what happened to the baby that was cruelly taken away from her.
An emotional and intriguing story with a great cast of characters. This will appeal to Italophiles and those interested in the period setting.
Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:
The paper is stiff and brittle with age as Kate unfolds it with trembling hands. She gasps at the pencil sketch of a rippling waterway, lined by tall buildings, curving towards the dome of a cathedral. She feels a connection deep in her heart. Venice.
England, 1941. When Kate Arden discovers a secret stash of drawings hidden in the pages of an old volume of poetry given to her as a baby, her breath catches. All her life, she has felt like an outsider in her aristocratic adoptive family, who refuse to answer any questions about her past. But the drawings spark a forgotten memory: a long journey by boat… warm arms that held her tight, and then let go.
Could these pictures unlock the secret of who she is? Why her mother left her? With war raging around the continent, she will brave everything to find out…
Author Profile:
Courtesy of Goodreads
Juliet Greenwood is the author of seven historical novels, her latest being with Storm Publishing. She has long been inspired by the histories of the women in her family, and in particular with how strong-minded and independent women have overcome the limitations imposed on them by the constraints of their time, and also with the way generations of women hold families and communities together in times of crisis, including WW2.
After graduating in English from Lancaster University and Kings College, London, Juliet worked on a variety of jobs to support her ambition to be a full-time writer. These ranged from running a craft stall at Covent Garden to collecting oral histories of traditional villages before they are lost forever, and more recently as a freelance editor and proof-reader.
She finally achieved her dream of becoming a published author following a debilitating viral illness, with her first novel being a finalist for The People’s Book Prize and her first two novels reaching #4 and #5 in the UK Kindle store.
Juliet now lives in a traditional quarryman’s cottage in Snowdonia, North Wales, set between the mountains and the sea, with an overgrown garden (good for insects!) and a surprisingly successful grapevine. She can be found dog walking in all weathers, camera to hand.
Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:
Amazon Author Page. Juliet Greenwood - Goodreads Profile. Facebook Profile
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