One Summer in Venice

One Summer in Venice

Nicky Pelegrino has written a wonderful book about a woman who visits Venice initially for a week’s holiday and decides to continue her stay in the city over the summer months.  The author brings the city of Venice to life with the whimsical characters Addolorata (Dolly) meets and also the atmosphere of the beautiful city by the sea which is built on a lagoon.

There is a Countess in a once imposing palace but which is now badly in need of maintenance and furnishings, an eccentric friend, Coco, who may influence Dolly in some respects regarding her outlook on life and the beautiful dog, Boris, whom Dolly takes for walks around this  fascinating city.  The reader actually sees another Venice altogether from the Venice of the tourists.

There is the wonderful architecture, the dancing in the moonlight and the setting sun by the magnificent churches which give an added appeal and also a beautiful glow to the city, the joie de vivre of the populace and the wonderful neighbourhood get togethers.  It is a unique insight into the beauty of Venice where the people gather for morning coffee and there are wonderful descriptions of the Venetian food, travel by gondola and magnificent celebrations and religious festivals of which Venice is renowned for with masques, balls and fireworks over the lagoon.

There is also romance in this story and also the story of Dolly’s other life in London.  Sometimes she appears to be caught between the two different lives (one in London and one in Venice) and she has to choose what is important for her.  Dolly also has an interesting list of happiness and every so often she will write on her list what makes her happy.

This is an inspsirational book and also one which is well recommended.  I have previously read a Nicky Pelegrino book which was also set in Italy.  This was “The Gypsy Tea Room” also published under the title of The House at Villa Rosa which I also enjoyed reading.

The Pindar Diamond by Katie Hickman

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.