The story changing its narrative and being told from both perspectives was amazing. I was really drawn into the story; I liked the writing and found it easy to imagine myself there in Rome.
I’m wary of the split narratives at first but done well I find them very effective. Lottie’s present-day life seems plausible rather than too glamorous to be improbable. Neither is she a fool who fails to consider what other people might be up to. Nina is full of talents and compassion. There was some exposition about the troubles in 1970s Italy but I didn’t find it clunky.
In both timelines, it is the interaction of the many communities to which Rome plays host – the Church, state, locals, expats, academics and others less easy to categorise – that provides the impetus for the stories. Where their paths cross, they become tangled, and that has consequences.
I’m not one to try and guess what’s going to happen in a story but there were a couple of hidden identities that I noticed early on. I don’t think that detracted from my enjoyment of the book, though – there was still plenty to learn about what happened, how and why.
I’m wary of the split narratives at first but done well I find them very effective. Lottie’s present-day life seems plausible rather than too glamorous to be improbable. Neither is she a fool who fails to consider what other people might be up to. Nina is full of talents and compassion. There was some exposition about the troubles in 1970s Italy but I didn’t find it clunky.
In both timelines, it is the interaction of the many communities to which Rome plays host – the Church, state, locals, expats, academics and others less easy to categorise – that provides the impetus for the stories. Where their paths cross, they become tangled, and that has consequences.
I’m not one to try and guess what’s going to happen in a story but there were a couple of hidden identities that I noticed early on. I don’t think that detracted from my enjoyment of the book, though – there was still plenty to learn about what happened, how and why.