Overview

A ruined castle. A town picking up the pieces. And a mysterious stranger who could change everything. The fire may be out, but smoke lingers in Santa Lucia. Though the townspeople still gather for espresso at the town café and swap recipes at the butcher shop, their iridescent blue sky feels behind a veil. The statue of the Madonna, set in a wall outside the cafe, watches it all in collected silence. Enter Alessandro, a New Yorker arriving to claim his inheritance--the derelict castle and the charred olive trees that surround it. Rich and handsome, his renovation plans set off a chain reaction of unearthed secrets, explosive relationships, and forbidden romance. Not just for himself, but for all the people who call this village home. Will the power of the Madonna save Alessandro and the villagers? Or will nothing in Santa Lucia ever be the same? Michelle Damiani's enchanting, magical novel will steal your heart. The town is alive with music, food, laughter, and turmoil, and you're at the center of it all. Interweaving love and betrayal, pulse-pounding suspense, lyrical beauty, and even a few familiar threads from Pride and Prejudice, The Silent Madonna will keep you on the edge of your seat. Those who loved Michelle Damiani's Santa Lucia will fall headlong back into the story of a town on the edge of change and the villagers that call it home. Much like an Italian village, newcomers are also welcome to walk the cobblestone streets, as The Silent Madonna can be read as a standalone book. ""The Silent Madonna sets the bar unrealistically high as my choice for Book of the Year. Highly recommended--I wish I could award a sixth star."" --Paul Austin Ardoin, Caseful of Clues book reviews

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9780578488240

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Reviews

After reading the third novel in the series, I feel like I'm part of the family of Santa Lucia. I laugh with them and cry with them. I couldn't put the book down. Damiani beautifully captures the rhythm and life of a small Italian town, and fills the story with details about food, culture, wine, and the landscape. Loved this latest installment in the series. By the excruciating climactic scenes I was on the edge of my seat. You won't want to miss reading this next installment. A real page turner.

""After reading the third novel in the series, I feel like I'm part of the family of Santa Lucia. I laugh with them and cry with them. I couldn't put the book down."" ""Damiani beautifully captures the rhythm and life of a small Italian town, and fills the story with details about food, culture, wine, and the landscape."" ""Loved this latest installment in the series."" ""By the excruciating climactic scenes I was on the edge of my seat. You won't want to miss reading this next installment. A real page turner.""

"""After reading the third novel in the series, I feel like I'm part of the family of Santa Lucia. I laugh with them and cry with them. I couldn't put the book down."" ""Damiani beautifully captures the rhythm and life of a small Italian town, and fills the story with details about food, culture, wine, and the landscape."" ""Loved this latest installment in the series."" ""By the excruciating climactic scenes I was on the edge of my seat. You won't want to miss reading this next installment. A real page turner."""

Author Information

Michelle Damiani is a freelance writer, clinical psychologist, and food lover currently living in Charlottesville, VA. Her heart, however, is in Spello, Italy, where she and her family spent a year growing accustomed to being fish out of water, grappling with the hardships of parenting on foreign soil, and ultimately cleaving into the soul of Italian village life. Before that year abroad, Michelle wrote short fiction--one of her stories was recently awarded first place in the Hook Short Fiction contest, juried by author John Grisham. While in Italy, she used the time that her children were in Italian public schools to write a blog about their experiences. The blog, Il Bel Centro, was awarded the bronze award for best Italian blog by Expatsblog. Once back in Charlottesville, she transformed the blog into a book, Il Bel Centro: a Year in the Beautiful Center, now available in print and e-book. Missing her village, she began writing a 4 part novel series set in italy. Three of the books, ""Santa Lucia"", ""The Silent Madonna"", and ""The Stillness of Swallows"" have been published. In addition, Michelle accumulated the collective wisdom of traveling families into a comprehensive guide called, ""The Road Taken: How to Dream, Plan, and Live Your Family Adventure Abroad."" When not planning her upcoming trip around the world, you can find her at www.michelledamiani.com.

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