The Stars Over Rome is set against the twilight of the Belle Époque era and the ensuing chaos of World War I. The story explores themes of love, ambition and upheaval in one of the world’s most timeless cities. When the story begins in 1913, Rome was a city caught between its historic past and …
How it all began Italy has always held a special place in my heart, but my first trip there was truly magical and ignited the spark for a lifelong passion for this enchanting country. It was the summer I turned sixteen, when my family and I went on a holiday to Sorrento, a postcard-pretty town …
In the early 1900s, Italian and British societies alike imposed strict limitations on women’s roles, particularly in the public and professional spheres. Gabriella Santorelli, my fictional heroine of The Stars Over Rome, is the daughter of an English father and an Italian mother. She is brought up with the intellectual freedom of Edwardian London but, …
My passion for gardening inspired me to write The Italian Garden but, as a one-time dress designer, my love for beautiful fabrics led me to give one of my characters a career in his family’s silk manufacturing business. I visited Bellagio to research the location for The Italian Garden and, on a blisteringly hot day, took a ferry across …
One of the exciting aspects of writing a novel is when it involves travel. I visited Bellagio on the shores of Lake Como in the summer of 2022 to research the location for The Italian Garden, and fell in love with the glorious scenery and the warmth of the Italian people. It’s impossible not to be …