I always like to read novels about the places I am going to visit. When you read this I will be traveling in Italy and will have just spent three days in Venice. Bowen’s book, with its rich details of the architecture and history of Venice will certainly enrich the time I spend there.

Caroline Grant, in the midst of a messy divorce, gets word that her beloved great aunt Lettie is passing. Her aunt’s last whispered words are “Venice” and in her will Caroline receives a sketchbook, three keys, and a request that her ashes be scattered in Venice. So Caroline, numbed by the conflict with her ex- husband, decides to leave England and spend sometime in Venice.

In 1938, Juliet Browning arrived with her students in order to expose them to them to the art and art history of Venice. It is a poignant return for Juliet, who on a previous visit had met and fallen in love with Leonardo Da Rossi, a man from an aristocratic Italian family. Although they know that their love will never be sanctioned by his family, still it remains. This time however, war threatens and closes in on Venice, in the face of this danger they must find a way to protect a secret that will bind them forever.

Beautifully written with the story alternating between Juliet and Caroline, allowing us to see each woman’s story slowly unfold. It is clear that Bowen spent sometime in Venice because you can feel the cobblestones and hear the flow of the water in the canals in the ways she describes Venice. She has also captured the uneasy position of this unique city during WWII along with all the subterfuge, dislocation and difficulty the residents endured. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read it before going on my trip!

Brenda’s rating: ****(4 Out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Lauren, Marian, Keith and Sharon.

Book study worthy? Yes

Read in e-library format.