The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence

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The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence Page 28

by Alyssa Palombo


  —Historical Novel Society

  “Alyssa Palombo’s training as a classical musician is evident in her first novel, The Violinist of Venice, a historical romance set in the eighteenth century.… Palombo skillfully blends historical facts with innovative and colorful fiction, creating a delightful, fast-paced romance that is sure to please music lovers and romance readers alike.”

  —Shelf Awareness

  “A lovely book, engrossing and realistic. In simple, spare prose, Palombo gives life to an improbable romance between Vivaldi, the ‘Red Priest,’ and Adriana d’Amato, the lovely daughter of a wealthy merchant. Music is Adriana’s downfall—she falls deeply and passionately in love with the composer—and ultimately her salvation. The most compelling aspect of the novel is Adriana’s love of music and the author’s virtuoso descriptions of Vivaldi’s compositions. The passages are so evocative one can almost hear the ebb and flow of the music. We are in the hands of not only a master storyteller but also a dedicated music lover.”

  —Roberta Rich, international bestselling author of The Midwife of Venice

  “Utterly captivating! Palombo brings the world of Vivaldi to life in a sweeping tale of love in all its many forms. Beautiful, poignant, and at times heart-wrenching, this should be at the top of everyone’s list to read.”

  —Jessica Leake, author of Arcana and The Order of the Eternal Sun

  “The Violinist of Venice by Alyssa Palombo is a warm and compelling story of the secret love affair in the life of the famous Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi. Vivid and alive and thrumming with the exquisite strains of violin music, the novel explores the impossible choices between love and duty and the demands of art in the decadent world of early-eighteenth-century Venice.”

  —Kate Forsyth, international bestselling author of Bitter Greens

  “A passionate, heartbreaking love story between a brilliant young violinist whose father forbids her to make music and the gentle, gifted composer who restores it to her. I was utterly swept away by their impossible love and the rich worlds which grew from it in this moving novel set among the aristocrats and musicians of eighteenth-century Venice.”

  —Stephanie Cowell, author of Marrying Mozart and Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet

  “Vivid, emotional, and profoundly satisfying. This marvelous debut is a sumptuous tale of a passionate affair between Vivaldi and a promising student set to a masterful musical score. Palombo has created a fascinating portrait of both the beauty and limitations of life in aristocratic Venice.”

  —Jennifer Laam, author of The Secret Daughter of the Tsar

  “Debut author and musician Palombo creates a lovely fictional account of a great love affair.… A nicely crafted first effort that reimagines Vivaldi’s life in a bittersweet narrative.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ALYSSA PALOMBO is the author of The Violinist of Venice. Her short fiction has appeared in Black Lantern Magazine and The Great Lakes Review. She is a recent graduate of Canisius College with degrees in English and creative writing. When not writing, she can be found reading, at a rock concert, or plotting a new travel adventure. She lives in Buffalo, New York, where she is always at work on her next novel. You can sign up for email updates here.

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  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Part I: La Bella Simonetta

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Part II: Venus

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Part III: Immortal

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Author’s Note

  Acknowledgments

  Discussion Questions

  Preview: The Violinist of Venice

  Also by Alyssa Palombo

  Praise for The Violinist of Venice

  About the Author

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN FLORENCE. Copyright © 2017 by Alyssa Palombo. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

  www.stmartins.com

  Cover design by Danielle Christopher

  Cover photographs: Florence © Veronika Galkina / Shutterstock.com; flowers © SvetlanaFedoseyeva / Shutterstock.com; woman © Rekha Garton / Arcangel

  The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

  ISBN: 978-1-250-07150-7 (trade paperback)

  ISBN: 978-1-4668-8264-5 (e-book)

  e-ISBN 9781466882645

  Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].

  First Edition: April 2017

 

 

 


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