The Venetian Mask
A Novel
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4.1 • 23 Ratings
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Enduring friendships and long-held vendettas come alive against the splendor and decadence of eighteenth-century Venice.
In 1775 Venice--known to outsiders as “the brothel of Europe”--the tradition of mask-wearing has allowed adultery and debauchery to flourish. But Marietta and Elena, two friends at the Ospedale della Pietà, a world-famous orphanage and music school for girls, know little of that milieu--until they come of age.
Elena is forced to wed the head of the Celano clan, a jealous, brutal man, while Marietta marries Domenico Torrisi, whose family vendetta with the Celanos is centuries old. Tradition dictates that the friends should never speak again, but their bond is too strong to break.
As the French Revolution unsettles all of Europe, Elena’s husband frames Domenico and he becomes a political prisoner. Marietta and Elena plot to save him, and the women discover that Venetian masks have noble purposes, too--but will their efforts put their own lives at risk?
Embodying the glitter and the treachery of the city it portrays, The Venetian Mask will keep you turning pages long into the night.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Eighteenth-century Venice, ``the brothel of Europe,'' makes a perfect backdrop for this outstanding historical romance by genre veteran Laker ( The Golden Tulip , etc.). At the Ospedale della Pieta, a famous music school for orphaned girls, Marietta Fontana and Elena Baccini begin a lifelong friendship. Elena is forced to marry Filippo, scion of the powerful Celano family; Marietta weds the mysterious and handsome Domenico Torrisi, a wealthy widower and sworn enemy of the Celanos. But the young women continue their relationship, and when Elena secretly bears the child of a man she truly loves, she relinquishes the infant to be raised by Marietta, who is grieving over the death of her own baby. Domenico is jailed on charges trumped up by the unscrupulous Filippo, but Marietta and Elena search for years for evidence to free him. Although rich with memorable characters and plot, the story is almost secondary to the splendid setting in a city of masks, hidden intentions and sinister complications. Laker has a marvelous gift for evoking atmosphere with assiduously researched, intriguing details which she places throughout a genuinely exciting narrative. A cut above most writers in her genre, the British Laker has written what may be her breakthrough book on these shores. ( Jan. )
Customer Reviews
Venice!
What an intriguing and engrossing story of Venetian life in the 1770's! Unknown to me was the role elaborate masks played in the many acts of deception and immorality practiced during the period. Well worth the read.