This turned out to be a really enjoyable read. I wondered as I started the book whether it was for me. There was a large focus on celebrity culture centred on the Italian film industry in the 1950’s and I was hoping for more detail about the struggles in Rome for the Italian Resistance. However, as I read on the book became more engrossing with a quality of reflection on personal experience that was unusually good. What impressed me was the retelling of how people dealt with the trauma associated with extreme violence in warfare, in particular how people used charitable enterprise and philanthropy to move on from their grief. Something we can all learn from.

Against the stunning backdrop of Italian cobbled streets a screenwriter faces many difficulties in the 1950s, the biggest, the Vatican. All at once enthralled and enticed an immerserve novel to lose the mundanity of everyday.

There was a lot to like about this book. I enjoyed my immersion in 1955 Italy, where the scars of the war were still deep. The historical background about the movie industry, the role of the church and the flashbacks to 1943 were great to read about. Vivien,s story both past and as it evolved was poignant. However, I found there were too many subplots running off on tangents, then the author had to tell us what the moral was, rather than showing us. This would have had more emotional impact had she stuck to a main plot and explored it fully. I also hadn’t read the earlier books, however, it did all make sense, as this can be read as a standalone.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC to read and give an honest review of.