The story concerns Julia Garnet, a retired school teacher who is somewhat set in her ways. She has shared her home with her friend Harriet for many years, and when Harriet dies, Julia finds herself at a loss. She makes an unusually spontaneous decision to rent out her house and go and live in Venice for a few months.
The rest of the novel is about Venice and its effect on Julia. In learning about the city and uncovering the layers upon layers of stories and myth, she begins to learn about herself and her own life. In England she was a reserved woman who kept herself to herself, but in Venice she gets involved in other people's lives. This doesn't always bring her happiness, sometimes it brings her heartache, but it all helps to chip away at the wall she had built around herself.
Salley Vickers has put a reading list in the back of the book and I will certainly be making a note of some of the books for further reading about Venice.
I have this book on my shelf already, I was hoping to read it for Venice in February but never quite got around to it. From your review it sounds like I need to make time for it!
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a lovely read Sam, I'd thoroughly recommend it. It's the first time I've read anything by Salley Vickers and I definitely be looking out for more by her.
DeleteI meant to read this for Venice in February too, but I was sidetracked by other books. I really must make time, because I have liked the couple of Salley Vickers' books that I have read.
ReplyDeleteWell it sounds like the way to get this book read is not to take part in Venice in February! It is a lovely book, you must get to it soon.
DeleteI can't believe I still haven't read this. I bought it in 2005, and have bought several other Vickers novels, sure that I'd love her - but have yet actually to *read* any.
ReplyDelete2005??!! That's a long time for such a lovely, easy, heart-warming story to be on the shelf.
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