The Silkworm Keeper, Deborah Swift
The Silkworm Keeper, Deborah Swift
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The Silkworm Keeper
A captivating historical novel of Renaissance Italy

Author: Deborah Swift

Narrator: Diana Croft

Unabridged: 13 hr 27 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Quire Books

Published: 01/18/2022

Synopsis

Rome 1638Old sins have long shadows ~ Italian ProverbGiulia Tofana never wanted to be a nun, but she is determined to atone for her past misdeeds by making her new monastery a success.When an unexpected disaster closes the convent, Giulia is forced to turn to her old friend Fabio Pasello for help. Giulia still has intense feelings for Fabio and Fabio’s passion for her has never diminished.But they are not the same people they were before. Giulia has taken her vows, and Fabio is apprenticed to Gianlorenzo Bernini the famous sculptor, and has become one of Bernini’s rakish libertines. They could not be further apart.To add to their problems, Giulia cannot escape her reputation as a poisoner, and is soon embroiled in a plot against Fabio’s patron, Pope Urban VIII. Faced with the idea of murder, will Giulia renounce her vows or embrace them?Inspired by true stories, this is a novel of nuns and courtesans, artists and priests, in the shadow and splendour of the Eternal City.'Swift is a consummate historical novelist, basing her books on immaculate research and then filling the gaps between real events and real people with eloquent storytelling, atmospheric scene setting and imaginative plot lines.' - The Visitor

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kathy

...and the second in the series as poisoner/courtesan becomes nun by force and on it goes. It all sounds quite preposterous, I know, but these two books are based on real person. Both are emotional tales and hard to fathom...but then truth is stranger than fiction in this case. I did not enjoy the tw......more

Goodreads review by Terry

Isn't it great when you like a sequel more than the first book? I thoroughly enjoyed The Poison Keeper, which led us through the life of Giulia Tofana, famous poisoner of Naples. The Silkworm Keeper moves onto her life as a nun in a remote and meagre convent, then the constant side-stepping of dange......more

Goodreads review by Nina

How do you write a stellar, quality review to merit a notable novel deserving of an inordinate amount of stars? In an MFA program for Creative Writing I was taught this: no trouble, no story. But how did author Swift conjure up one complicated scene after another seamlessly, making this an intense, d......more

Goodreads review by Christine

A terrific sequel I loved this sequel even more than the first book and the first book was amazing too. Guiliana was such an awesome woman and the other two main female characters, Rosetta and Zaneta were equally great. I found myself totally engaged with all of the characters and the storytelling. A......more

Goodreads review by Helen

This is the second in a series and I've already read the first (The Poison Keeper). I feel this can be read as a standalone, but I'd recommend reading these books in order, to get a better sense of how Giulia's and Fabio's relationship has developed and changed over the years. That said, Ms Swift pr......more

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