Overview

"From the prize-winning and beloved author Valerie Martin (Mary Reilly, Property, Italian Fever) comes an ""utterly brilliant"" (Daily Mail) tale of female subversion and agency in a patriarchal world, with two brilliantly crafted protagonists at its center. It’s 1954 on far-flung Verona Island, a tropical paradise with a fragile economy and a rising crime rate. Prostitution is legal and Lila Gulliver is proud of her business, a high-end brothel where her clients are guaranteed privacy and discretion.  When Carità Bercy, a young, destitute, and beautiful blind woman arrives at her door seeking employment, Lila decides to give her a chance. Carità proves a valuable asset to the house, as well as a psychological puzzle to her employer.  One hot night, Ian Drohan, a handsome youth and the scion of the wealthiest family on the island, visits Lila’s house and falls madly in love with Carità.  Lila doubts his sincerity and fears for Carità ‘s future. Carità has no such fears.  In fact, Carità is a reckless force of nature, determined to succeed in ways Lila hasn’t even contemplated.  Spirits of the star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet, as well as the devilish denizens of the magical island in The Tempest haunt this steamy tale of passionate love, found, lost, and found again."

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9780385549950

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“Martin's (I Give It to You, 2020) surprisingly playful latest observes two strong-willed women as they make the best of their initially unfortunate lives… it's a pleasure to get to know both of her intelligent and resourceful heroines.” —Booklist

Author Information

VALERIE MARTIN is the author of eleven novels, four collections of short fiction, and a biography of Saint Francis of Assisi, titled Salvation. She has been awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, as well as the Kafka Prize (for Mary Reilly) and Britain's Orange Prize (for Property).

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