Lucy Scarpelli, an Italian dressmaker from New York, befriends socialite Rowena Langdon as she's making her summer wardrobe.
It's an unlikely friendship, but one that Rowena encourages by inviting Lucy to the family mansion in Newport, Rhode Island.
Grateful for Lucy's skill in creating clothes that hide her physical injury, Rowena encourages Lucy to dream of a better future.
One day Lucy encounters an intriguing man on the Cliff Walk, and love begins to blossom. Yet Lucy resists, for what man will accept her family responsibilities?
Rowena also deals with love as she faces a worrisome arranged marriage to a wealthy heir. And Lucy's teenage sister, Sofia, takes up with a man of dubious character.
All three women struggle as their lives, and those of each unlikely suitor, become intertwined in a web of secrets and sacrifice. Will any of them find true happiness?
**taken from amazon.com**
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I have to tell you that I totally picked this book by the cover. Yes, I completely did what you are never supposed to do. I judged a book by it's cover.
It looks like a frilly historical romance, which is not something I usually read. I read the synopsis and really liked the sound of it and I loved the pink dress, not the frilly historical romance part, and that's why I picked it.
Shallow much?
This was a very enjoyable book! I love historical fiction and this did not disappoint. It combined the stories of first generation immigrants to the United States from Italy and the second generation of wealthy Newport, Rhode Island upper class.
The trials and tribulations that the women faced at the turn of the century, or the Gilded Age, are so foreign to women of the modern era!
The main character would fit in very well in this day and age, but was hampered by the fact that she was born in the late 1800's.
She had a sister who I could not stand because she was a whiny, immature brat. However, part of the reason I didn't like her much was because, I believe, I could see parts of myself in her character. Ouch.
One of the characters had an accident as a pre-teen and was permanently disabled in a way. Therefore she was "damaged goods" with an "infirmity" that would prevent her from marrying well. What? Marrying well? See! Way different.
Her marriage was to be an "arranged" marriage.
The differences in social classes were fascinating and in many instances prevented women and men of lower classes from ever knowing personally a person from an upper class, let alone marriage to one of them.
I can't say too much without giving away the ending, suffice it to say there was a twist that I didn't see coming! I love when books surprise me because they rarely do anymore! Everything is so formulaic that you can see things coming from 20 miles away.
There was a sweet touch of (but not over the top) the more innocent times where people trusted in, even if they sometimes doubted, God.
** I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for a review.**
Pick a number between 1 and 50 and the winner will receive my copy! (sophisticated method, huh?)
6 comments:
I pick 9. And you know I would totally read this book. :)
Connie says 11.
I totally pick books by their cover. If people didn't do that...they would all have plain black covers. Like if the Bible had a better cover....I'd probably read that.
number 49!
I like the look of that cover too. The synposis reminded me, though, of a book I picked up and read. It was so slow and blah blah blah. Suddenly it took a twist and I realized that the uncommon "love" was between two girls. Lesbians! I wish I could remember the title... I remember my mom's review of this book was "gee, the author really does not like men at all!" and well, yeah, duh! It was about lesbians, LOL
That sounds like a fun read! And I say there is NOTHING wrong with judging a book by its cover!
Oh, and, uh...27.
i can't resist any book hence the name "book slut" so i choose my age 39
15
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