The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence
Page 28
—Historical Novel Society
“Alyssa Palombo’s training as a classical musician is evident in her first novel, The Violinist of Venice, a historical romance set in the eighteenth century.… Palombo skillfully blends historical facts with innovative and colorful fiction, creating a delightful, fast-paced romance that is sure to please music lovers and romance readers alike.”
—Shelf Awareness
“A lovely book, engrossing and realistic. In simple, spare prose, Palombo gives life to an improbable romance between Vivaldi, the ‘Red Priest,’ and Adriana d’Amato, the lovely daughter of a wealthy merchant. Music is Adriana’s downfall—she falls deeply and passionately in love with the composer—and ultimately her salvation. The most compelling aspect of the novel is Adriana’s love of music and the author’s virtuoso descriptions of Vivaldi’s compositions. The passages are so evocative one can almost hear the ebb and flow of the music. We are in the hands of not only a master storyteller but also a dedicated music lover.”
—Roberta Rich, international bestselling author of The Midwife of Venice
“Utterly captivating! Palombo brings the world of Vivaldi to life in a sweeping tale of love in all its many forms. Beautiful, poignant, and at times heart-wrenching, this should be at the top of everyone’s list to read.”
—Jessica Leake, author of Arcana and The Order of the Eternal Sun
“The Violinist of Venice by Alyssa Palombo is a warm and compelling story of the secret love affair in the life of the famous Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi. Vivid and alive and thrumming with the exquisite strains of violin music, the novel explores the impossible choices between love and duty and the demands of art in the decadent world of early-eighteenth-century Venice.”
—Kate Forsyth, international bestselling author of Bitter Greens
“A passionate, heartbreaking love story between a brilliant young violinist whose father forbids her to make music and the gentle, gifted composer who restores it to her. I was utterly swept away by their impossible love and the rich worlds which grew from it in this moving novel set among the aristocrats and musicians of eighteenth-century Venice.”
—Stephanie Cowell, author of Marrying Mozart and Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet
“Vivid, emotional, and profoundly satisfying. This marvelous debut is a sumptuous tale of a passionate affair between Vivaldi and a promising student set to a masterful musical score. Palombo has created a fascinating portrait of both the beauty and limitations of life in aristocratic Venice.”
—Jennifer Laam, author of The Secret Daughter of the Tsar
“Debut author and musician Palombo creates a lovely fictional account of a great love affair.… A nicely crafted first effort that reimagines Vivaldi’s life in a bittersweet narrative.”
—Kirkus Reviews
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ALYSSA PALOMBO is the author of The Violinist of Venice. Her short fiction has appeared in Black Lantern Magazine and The Great Lakes Review. She is a recent graduate of Canisius College with degrees in English and creative writing. When not writing, she can be found reading, at a rock concert, or plotting a new travel adventure. She lives in Buffalo, New York, where she is always at work on her next novel. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Prologue
Part I: La Bella Simonetta
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Part II: Venus
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Part III: Immortal
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Author’s Note
Acknowledgments
Discussion Questions
Preview: The Violinist of Venice
Also by Alyssa Palombo
Praise for The Violinist of Venice
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN FLORENCE. Copyright © 2017 by Alyssa Palombo. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Cover design by Danielle Christopher
Cover photographs: Florence © Veronika Galkina / Shutterstock.com; flowers © SvetlanaFedoseyeva / Shutterstock.com; woman © Rekha Garton / Arcangel
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN: 978-1-250-07150-7 (trade paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-4668-8264-5 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781466882645
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First Edition: April 2017