Tuscan Rose
Belinda Alexandra



Just finished reading this gripping novel. Here is the basic plot:

A mysterious stranger known as ′The Wolf′ leaves an infant with the sisters of Santo Spirito. A tiny silver key hidden in her wrappings is the one clue to the child′s identity ...

Rosa′s only family is the nuns who have raised her. When she turns fifteen, she must leave them and become governess to the daughter of an aristocrat and his strange, frightening wife. Their house is elegant but cursed, and Rosa - blessed with gifts beyond her considerable musical talents - is torn between her desire to know the truth and her fear of its repercussions.

And all the while, the hand of Fascism curls around beautiful Italy, and none of her citizens is safe. Rosa faces unimaginable hardship: her only weapons her intelligence, intuition and determination ...and her extraordinary capacity for love.

A tale of sacrifice and reward, of beauty and horror, and of redemption as only Belinda Alexandra can deliver.

I have read three other books by Belinda Alexandra, all very intriguing and excellent reads:
Silver Wattle
White Gardenia
Wild Lavender

This latest saga doesn't disappoint. Plenty of twists and turns and very well written. Great character development. Probably the only downside to this book is the lasting images it created in my mind of the war atrocities committed by the Germans under the command of Hitler - these are described rather graphically in places and I don't deal too well with descriptions of human torture....

But if you like a great story that will have you reading late into the night, then have a look at Tuscan Rose or any other Belinda Alexandra novel. I'm hooked on them!

A final observation - Alexandra always manages to include Australian connections into her European historical themes. Gives it a sense of familiarity :)

Would love to hear form anyone else who has read her works....