This wonderful novel is
set in early seventeenth century Venice.
The story is inspirational
and a joy to read. This book follows on from
the exotic novel set in
Old Constantinople, The Aviary Gate, in which
an English merchant's
fiancee, Celia Lamprey, is captured on a sea voyage,
sold and taken to the
Sultan's harem.
The Pindar Diamond is an
extraordinary story. Paul Pindar is the English
merchant who mourns the
loss of his true love and does not really know what
has happened to her.
Characters from the
earlier novel come into play, as for example, Paul Pindar's
friend and servant, John
Carew, Celia Lamprey's friend, Suor Annetta, who now
resides in a convent on
the island of Guidecca on the Venice lagoon. Here there is beauty to
be found in the inspirational nature paintings of one of the sisters
and the magnificent gardens and orchard of the convent.
It is a beautiful story
and I am reminded of shades of “Angelique in Love” by Anne
Golon in which Angelique
had not seen her husband for many years. It is quite
compelling reading for the
romance and sense of adventure in the story.
A troupe of tumblers and
performers travels along the coast of Italy, their destination the
“Serenissima”
the beautiful city of
Venice set on the sea and the people who make up this group of
itinerant
travellers seem other
worldly but quite beautiful. Maryam, considered too tall and ugly
proved
to be of the finest of
qualities of human character.
The colourful descriptions
of the settings in Venice make this story come alive with the sea and
water reflections, the light and shadows. As the story progresses it
also seems to be made of light
and shadows, the good and
the bad.
A fascinating card game
for the Sultan's blue, the diamond, the palazzos, the atmosphere, the
beauty, the mists of Venice and the Angels' tears over the city when
there is a light mist and falling rain which enhances the beauty of
the story. It is a heady mix.
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