The Watercolourist
Beatrice Masini
Translated by Oonagh Stransky
Translated by Clarissa Ghelli
18 May 2017
9781447257745Synopsis
Winner of the Premio Selezione Campiello prize and the Premio Alessandro Manzoni award for best historical novel, The Watercolourist is an intoxicating romantic mystery set in Italy's idyllic landscapes during the 19th Century.
Young and talented Bianca discovers a world teeming with intrigue and whispered secrets in a grand Milanese villa where she's commissioned to illustrate its magnificent gardens. As luminous strokes of colour bloom on her canvas, her curiosity thickens around the mysterious world of the villa, and its owner, eccentric poet Don Titta.
Drawn deeper into the villa's labyrinth and the enticing whispers of Don Titta and his poet friends, Bianca forgets the dangers that lie in hidden corners. After glimpsing a mysterious figure in the grounds, Bianca becomes determined to unmask the villa's truths, all the while oblivious to the watchful eyes on her.
Against the backdrop of a changing Italy, The Watercolourist is a captivating journey of love, secrets, and art.
Bianca is reminiscent of both Elizabeth Bennet of Pride and Prejudice and Jo March of Little WomenIl Sole 24 Ore
There's something of Manzoni . . . there are the heartbeats of the youngest Brontë sister, Anne, with her Agnes Grey . . . and, as in Rowling's Casual Vacancy, children are the best part of the storyla Repubblica
The writing is evocative, the main character engaging, and the landscape clear and lovely in the reader's mindSydney Morning Herald
