This was an engaging albeit sometimes challenging read due to some of the themes it covers. The setting was well researched and so the story was engrossing and clever. It was enjoyable and I would recommend.

Set in Bologna, 1575. Elena Morandi is a talented seamstress but the one thing she wants is to be a Tailor, only problem is women are not allowed to be tailor. She had learned her skills as a very young girl with her father. But at 10 both of her parents had gone and Elena found herself in the Baraccano Orphanage. Where the well respected Antonio della Fontana visits the girls picking them to have his special attention whilst not full sex it was pretty close. Elena's best friend Laura had ended her life because of this, it is something ghat Elena will never forget or forgive.

She is sent to be a seamstress for Signora Ruffo, she makes friends with the young Sofia after hearing her try to learn the language, she offers her help and they become friends. Its only when Helena hears a conversation between signora Ruffo and a male that she knows she has to run. She tries to get a job at a Tailors but they all laugh at her.

The story follows Elena as she tries to become a tailor, trying to bring Antonio Della Fontana down. Can she succeed to make her dreams come true.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this it covers a few issues of sexual abuse, sodomy (as being gay was known) but these are fone with as much care as possible. It shows what rights a woman had in this time and country. If a woman was out alone at night she would be assumed to be on the game. The police would come down hard on that and many other things. The author has clearly done her research and i would highly recommend this to any historical fiction readers there is so much more to this story than i have given.

Thank you to Netgalley and Allison and Busby for an ecopy of this book. My opinion has not been influenced in any way.

Elena Morandi an orphan who grew up in the Santa Maria Del Baraccano orphanage is working for signora Ruffo. A seamstress for the signora her mistress and residing in her palazzo in Bologna Italy.
Elena dreams of being a tailor, following in her late father’s footsteps, but it’s the 1500’s, the era of renaissance Italy. Certainly not a time period of women achieving their aspirations, or could it possibly be?
Elena has grievances against Antonio della Fontana, a man of wealth and privilege. Scores to settle against him. Fontana has caused injustice to many of the girls from the orphanage, abusing his position there.
Ambitions and grievances are a powerful combination.

Warning… this book covers sensitive issues.

This book is a work of historical fiction, though at the end of it in the author’s notes it says that some of the characters existed, but they were woven into the fictional characters.
I loved this book, the writing was extremely descriptive. I could vision it all perfectly as if I were there. The descriptions of the fabrics and sewing was so vivid. A powerful interesting book that captured my interest from the start. Exciting and suspenseful at times, with a bunch of varied characters.
Sixteenth century historical Bologna.

This is a debut novel that was such a good read for myself. I certainly look forward to reading any future books from this author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Allison & Busby for this eCopy to review

City of Silk is a captivating historical fiction novel set in 16th-century Bologna, Italy. The story follows Elena Morandi, a talented seamstress who dreams of becoming a tailor, an occupation barred to women at the time. Determined to break free from the constraints of her gender and her past, Elena embarks on a journey of ambition, friendship, and revenge.

Elena, who grew up in the harsh environment of the Barracano orphanage, finds herself in the workshop of a master tailor, despite the profession being officially off-limits to women. Her life takes a dramatic turn when a powerful man from her past, Antonio della Fontana, reappears and threatens everything she has worked for. Driven by a desire for justice and retribution, Elena hatches a plan to expose Antonio’s abuses and secure her place as a tailor.

As Elena navigates the dangerous world of Renaissance Bologna, she forms alliances and faces numerous challenges. The plot builds in momentum, leading to a satisfying and thrilling conclusion. The novel immerses readers in the sights, sounds, and textures of 16th-century Italy, with beautifully observed historical details that ground the story in a strong sense of place and time.

Elena is a compelling and relatable protagonist, whose determination and resilience shine through. The secondary characters are equally well-drawn, adding depth and complexity to the narrative. The relationships and interactions between the characters feel authentic and engaging, making the story even more captivating.

The novel explores themes of ambition, friendship, and revenge. It highlights the struggles and triumphs of a woman fighting against societal norms and personal adversity.

City of Silk is a breath taking historical fiction debut that transports readers to 16th-century Bologna. With its richly detailed setting, compelling characters, and gripping plot, it’s a novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

This was a fairly difficult read for me, the context is Silk-making and revenge in sixteenth-century Bologna. Elena is used and abused in an orphanage but will she get the chance to get even with her abuser? Full of beautiful descriptions of the silks Bologna and from which Elena learns to make stylish clothes for the wealthy inhabitants of the city.

This was a difficult read, many of the topics carried a huge weight of emotion and pain. But it was wonderfully executed, truly showing an understanding of the struggles depicted, despite the differences in time and related customs.

A wonderfully transportive read, Glennis Virgo brings sixteenth century Bologna to life for her readers. Even though it is a short read I was fully immersed in the story of Elena as she battles against the society rules of that time and what she endured during her time spent at the Barracano orphanage. The mixed group of people she meets and become friends with have their own battles and this adds to the richness of the story.
Well researched, I really enjoyed the notes at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read City of Silk.

A fascinating tale of Bolognese life, prejudice against women and minorities, and of dressmaking, tailoring, and beautiful materials.
Covering both the wealthy and the poor, I found this to be an excellent story. It became hugely compelling and extremely difficult to put down, even for a short while!
I really enjoyed reading this historical novel, which was obviously very well researched. I'm not sure whether I felt the ending to be a little rushed, or whether I was just sad the story was over.
It was interesting to see after the end of the novel, which elements were real and which were imagined.

This was a great read. It immersed you into pre industrial Bologna and brought to life the existence of seamstresses and tailors. The book emphasised the harsh realities of tradespeople and those who are left as orphans while telling the story of a girl who wishes to join the exclusively male world of tailoring. It uncovers levels of abuse, misogyny and homophobia in society while the church and other authorities turned a blind eye. The main characters are great, not without their flaws yet talented and courageous. This had me gripped until the end.

City of Silk, though historical fiction, gives us a glimpse how some things change yet stay the same as well as the bravery of a young women to dole out justice, protect her friends, and her willingness to do what it takes to fulfill her dreams. Taking place in Bologna in the 16th century, Elena Morandi, who has had much difficulty in her life, starting when both her parents pass away, at first lives in fear, but through willing to take risks, building strong friendships and sheer determination, finds herself reaping the positives on the other end. City of Silk explores abuse in orphanages, the difficulties women faced in late 16th century Bologna, and that there are people willing to stand up and fight for what's right.

Though the book starts off a bit slow, City of Silk is a wonderful read that shows the creativity of the author as well as her willingness and ability to stay close to life in Bologna in the late 16th century. The book also demonstrates that time may have passed, but issues and going-ons that were/happened then still exist today.

Though I would primarily recommend this to women who love historical fiction with strong female protagonists, City of Silk would be a welcomed read for anyone who is interested in the given era and learn about what Bologna looked like in the given era.

This is a very entertaining and well researched first novel, taking us back to an era when many life choices were forbidden to women, and Elena is one who wishes to become a tailor against all odds. That this is set in Bologna and is full of Italian references is a bonus to me personally, as I have lived in Italy, and done some tailoring training as part of becoming a costume maker. So it had everything to appeal to me. Having said that it held few surprises in its scope of characters, from the pantomime villain, artists, forbidden pairings and even slavery. I did enjoy it though, and look forward to her next.

I liked this. Gave me a real insight in to 16th Century Bologna, addressing some difficult themes especially child abuse, paedophilia, racism, homophobia. The main character Elena was very likeable for her resilience, perseverance and loyalty. I was so pleased to see her get a chance to achieve her dream of being a tailor by persuading Rondinelli to give her a chance although it was never a smooth journey with lots happening along the way. I liked the way the author never glossed over what was happening in the Baccannaro and the impact it had on the girls for the rest of their lives and we saw the impact of that in decisions made and actions.
A lot of the story focused on fabrics and tailoring skills, which I found fascinating, as well as the place of girls in society. In spite of some difficult themes, it was an enjoyable read and I will look out for more by this author.

Elena, a seamstress in 1500s Bologna, aspires to become a tailor. However, women are not permitted to work as tailors. She was raised in an orphanage and has already made significant progress in her life. She decides to pursue her passion and independence on her own, however her past may be coming back to haunt her. The writing creates a great atmosphere throughout. The historic detail is very impressive and helps to immerse the reader in this unforgettable tale.

What a great read. A fascinating piece of historical fiction that made for a compelling read. Set in Bologna, Italy in 1575 it is the story of Elena Morandi a young girl who from the age of 10 was brought up in Baraccano, an orphanage, after the death of her parents. Her father was a tailor and taught her well and from the orphanage she was sent to Signora Ruffo as a seamstress however, when she was told that she was to be married she ran away to pursue her dreams of becoming a tailor - an unheard of profession for a woman at this time. The author has clearly done a lot of research and it shows; I found myself totally immersed in Elena’s life and that of the people of Bologna.

Briefly, Elena does eventually find work at a renowned tailoring establishment doing menial tasks but her pleasure at this small success is soon tempered when a figure from her past, at the orphanage, wealthy benefactor Antonio della Fontana, comes into the tailors for a fitting. But as time passes and she is allowed to do more of the tailoring she vows vengeance on Fontana.

Elena is a great character, just one of many in this book, but she clearly is suffering from PTSD due to the abuse she endured at the orphanage alongside the loss of her best friend. Her new friendship with Sophia is lovely but tempered by Elena’s past and her habit to allowing her feeling to spill over into words that are not always kind. I really did love everything about this book and can’t wait for the authors next book. A wonderful historical novel, strong characters and an emotional, and at times heartbreaking story, but fear not good will out!

Silk-making and revenge in sixteenth-century Bologna. Elena is used and abused in an orphanage but will she get the chance to get even with her abuser? Full of beautiful descriptions of the silks Bologna was famous for and from which Elena learns to make stylish clothes for the wealthy inhabitants of the city. An absorbing read.

Absolutely fascinating. An insight into a period of history I'd never before even considered. An awful time to be a woman! The characters are well rounded, if a little characatured, perhaps. There's very little of shades of grey - people are all good or all bad. But this is perhaps necessary to move the story along.
It's clear there has been meticulous research done, into the societal customs of the time, the silk trade, the fabrics and fashions of the time. All really interesting.
I'd definitely read another by the same author.

This story really brings Bologna and Renaissance Italy in the 16th Century to life. I loved Elena and really emphasised with her struggle to make a life for herself in such a male dominated society. I wanted her to fulfil her dream of becoming a tailor and found the world of silk very immersive!
Antonio della Fontana is such a vile character and i was willing him to lose his status get his commupemce!
This was such an atmospheric novel with brilliant, well written characters. This was a fantastic debut and I can't wait to read more by Glennis Virgo. Fans of historical fiction will love this.

This book is set in Bologna, Italy 1575. For much of her childhood, Elena was raised in an orphanage. Such a "lucky" child, to be taken into the orphanage--but Elena has horrible memories of her time there. She had learned to sew at her fathers side. He was a tailor prior to his death and Elena wanted to follow in his footsteps. She soon found out that it was a man's world and a girl could NEVER be a tailor, only a seamstress. At the end of her orphanage time she was apprenticed to a seamstress but was not happy that she wouldn't be able to rise above seamstress. Elena's story was well written and flowed easily. The history was enlightening. We have come so far. I will watch for more books by this author. I received this complimentary digital ARC from NetGalley and Allison & Busby Publishers. The review is my own opinion.

City of Silk
by Glennis Virgo
Pub Date: Nov 21 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Elena Morandi is a supremely talented seamstress, at home among the bolts of fabric and cutting shears of her trade. However, she is determined that her ambition to be a tailor, a profession barred to her as a woman, will not slip through from her fingers like thread from the eye of a needle. With luck and perseverance, Elena gains a fragile foothold in the workshop of a master tailor, but then a man from her past crosses her path. Antonio della Fontana has every corner of the city in his pocket and, as Elena knows all too well, abused his position of power at the Baraccano orphanage. Driven to fight for justice against a man seemingly above the law, Elena hatches a plan to get retribution for herself, a lost friend and those still prey to Fontana's abuses.

I so enjoyed this debut novel by Glennis Virgo set in late Renaissance Bologna. Much loved by her tailor father and mother, when orphaned, Elena finds herself in great peril. Elena is reassuringly determined and her prejudice reflects the values of the time, but gradually she develops understanding and compassion through her relationships with the other well-drawn, diverse characters who join her in her fight for justice. This is obviously a well-researched book and the descriptions of the smells, weather, architecture, fabrics and food made this an immersive read. This is an exciting and moving, fast-paced read.