by Nathaniel Nathaniel Hawthorne
First published 2018
Miriam, Hilda, and Kenyon have come to Rome to pursue their art, drawn by the city's rich cultural heritage. These three young Americans find themselves caught up with Donatello, their Italian friend who moves through the eternal city with an almost mythic presence. As the four companions explore Rome's galleries, churches, and ancient monuments, the weight of the city's history begins to shape their relationships in unexpected ways. Kenyon sculpts marble into life while Hilda copies the masters and Miriam paints with mysterious intensity. Donatello watches them all with eyes that seem to hold secrets as old as the Roman stones beneath their feet. The city itself becomes a character in their story, its architecture and art pressing against their American sensibilities. What begins as an artistic pilgrimage transforms into something deeper as Rome's influence seeps into their lives, changing how they see themselves and each other.
Genres: art, romance, literary-fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Italy, Monte Beni, Rome
Period: 19th Century
372 pages · Paperback · Palala Press