For some reason I thought this was going to be a light, summer kind of read based on the title and cover but it was so much more darker than I expected. This certainly was not a negative thing as I like a book with a powerful, deep feel to it. It turned out to be a fantastic piece of historical fiction mixed in with a contemporary world.
The story is told in two timelines both set in Rome around the late 70’s and the present day. You follow Lottie in the present day, moving to Rome to be with her new husband. Her job is as an archivist and she finds herself intrigued by the mystery surrounding a woman called Nina Lawrence when she comes across her written diary/manuscript with some art. You go back in time to Nina’s life and learn about the troubles in Italy with the kidnap of Aldo Moro, a former prime minister of Italy. I didn’t know much about Italy at that time period so I found it very insightful and shocking.
The writing is immersive and I loved the mysterious atmosphere and tension built into the story. There are lots of layers to it and it is like a thriller as well as historical fiction. The characterisation was spot on and I felt emotionally attached to both Lottie and Nina.
I loved how the plot was so rich and had so much happening with espionage, the art world and politics. A captivating page turner that spins a tragic tale of love, passion, bravery and history.
The story is told in two timelines both set in Rome around the late 70’s and the present day. You follow Lottie in the present day, moving to Rome to be with her new husband. Her job is as an archivist and she finds herself intrigued by the mystery surrounding a woman called Nina Lawrence when she comes across her written diary/manuscript with some art. You go back in time to Nina’s life and learn about the troubles in Italy with the kidnap of Aldo Moro, a former prime minister of Italy. I didn’t know much about Italy at that time period so I found it very insightful and shocking.
The writing is immersive and I loved the mysterious atmosphere and tension built into the story. There are lots of layers to it and it is like a thriller as well as historical fiction. The characterisation was spot on and I felt emotionally attached to both Lottie and Nina.
I loved how the plot was so rich and had so much happening with espionage, the art world and politics. A captivating page turner that spins a tragic tale of love, passion, bravery and history.