First published 2012
Lilia, a young English widow, travels to Italy with her friend Catherine Abbott and discovers the small town of Monteriano. There she meets Gino, a handsome but poor Italian man, and falls in love. Against her English family's wishes, she decides to stay and marry him. Her in-laws are horrified by this unsuitable match and send emissaries to prevent the marriage, much like the family intervention in Henry James's recent novel The Ambassadors. Lilia dies giving birth to a son. Her brother-in-law Philip then leads another mission to bring the child back to England. But Philip himself becomes enchanted by Italy and its people. He accidentally causes the death of the very child he came to rescue. Through this tragedy, Philip learns to break free from Victorian social constraints and opens his heart to love. The novel ends with Philip transformed but facing two impossible loves: Miss Abbott will never return his feelings, while she herself loves Gino hopelessly.
Genres: fiction, family, romance, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: England, Italy, Monteriano
Period: 19th-Century, 20th-Century
224 pages · Paperback · BRUIT DU TEMPS
Content warnings: death