City of Silk - The Times Historical Fiction Book of the Month - 'Enjoyable and immersive'

Glennis Virgo

Summary

'My favourite kind of historical fiction ... So beautifully atmospheric ... I loved this book and can't wait to read more from Glennis Virgo' - Frances Quinn, author of That Bonesetter Woman
Bologna, 1575.
A talented seamstress
A powerful merchant

A fierce battle of wills

Bologna, 1575. A talented seamstress. A powerful merchant. A fierce battle of wills.


Elena Morandi has gained a fragile foothold in a master tailor's workshop, despite the profession being barred to women. But then Antonio della Fontana, a powerful man from her past, crosses her path and threatens everything she has built. Fontana has every corner of the city in his pocket and Elena knows all too well of his past abuses. Driven to fight for justice, she hatches a daring plan to get retribution for herself, a lost friend and his other victims.


The sights, sounds and textures of Renaissance Italy are brought to vivid life in this breathtaking historical fiction debut.
'I LOVED this. The characters sing. Bravo' - Sara Sheridan, author of The Fair Botanists

Available since: 11/21/2024.

Print length: 352 pages.

Other books that might interest you

The Women - Key Insights

Ava Cross

This work provides a concise synthesis of the key insights and analysis of the book. It is an independent summary, not the original book, and has no affiliation with or endorsement from the original publication. Created for readers who want a clear, thought-provoking overview, it distills the central themes and ideas while preserving the depth and relevance of the work. 
Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, this novel follows Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a young nurse who leaves behind a privileged but sheltered life in California to serve on the front lines. In the chaos of combat hospitals, she forges unbreakable bonds with fellow nurses while enduring the unrelenting toll of war. Returning home, Frankie expects gratitude but instead encounters silence, denial, and erasure of her service. Struggling with grief, trauma, and the loss of her place in a world that refuses to see her, she must learn to rebuild her life, find her voice, and honor the women who stood beside her. Both harrowing and inspiring, this story illuminates the courage of women whose sacrifices were long overlooked, asking what it truly means to serve, to survive, and to heal.

Show book

The Sky-Crasher

L. Ron Hubbard

After the death of his father in an air stunt, ace pilot Caution Jones left flying behind. But he's about to find that if you want to get anywhere, you have to throw caution to the wind. His airline company's up for a monster contract, and the race is on to get it... even if he has to climb back into the cockpit. The competition is deadly... but it's his beautiful co-pilot who may get him to take the biggest risk of all. Stow your bags, secure your food trays, and prepare for take-off as the audio version of The Sky-Crasher puts you on the edge of your seat.

Show book

Beautiful Little Fools: Book...

Margot Langley

This content is an independent and unofficial summary created for informational and educational purposes only. It is not affiliated with, authorized, approved, licensed, or endorsed by the original author or publisher. All rights to the original work belong to its respective copyright holders. This summary is not intended to substitute the original book, but to offer a concise overview and interpretation of its main ideas. 
Step into the glittering world of 1920s intrigue and ambition with Beautiful Little Fools. Follow a poised professional athlete turned social detective as she unpacks hidden motives behind opulent parties, covert alliances, and whispered secrets. Blending high-stakes negotiation tactics with emotional resilience strategies, this audiobook transforms every ballroom confrontation into a masterclass in adaptive leadership, every scandal into an opportunity for principled action. You’ll learn to craft rigorous prep routines, build trusted networks, and cultivate reflective rituals that turn setbacks into breakthroughs. Let this riveting tale inspire you to navigate life’s grandest stages with clarity, courage, and unshakable purpose.

Show book

The Marquis of Carabas

Rafael Sabatini

A master swordsman travels to dangerous, Revolution-era France to claim his inheritance, in this swashbuckling adventure by the author Captain Blood.The French Revolution is well underway. Countless French nobles are escaping from the horrible violence and traveling to England for refuge. Meanwhile, Quentin de Morlaix, master swordsman, runs a popular fencing school in London. He may have been raised in England since he was a baby, but his French blood gives him some sympathy for these emigrés. His concern for France ends there, until he receives a surprise from a lawyer. Quentin is a noble and he has six months to claim a sizable inheritance from a brother he never knew about. To claim his fortune, however, Quentin must travel into the heart of the French Revolution, a land of chaos, mystery, suspense, and certain death.

Show book

Comfort of Home - A Medieval...

Marina Pacheco

Proven innocent, he’s returned from exile. Can he recover all that he lost? 
Anglo-Saxon England, AD 997. Brother Galen is anxious about leaving the haven of his abbey. Suddenly reconciled with his father after being disowned, he fears he will never again fit in with his estranged family. But when he’s commissioned to produce a manuscript for the king, the shy scribe has the chance to visit his relatives after three years of banishment. 
Relieved by the warm welcome from his sisters and mother, Galen still struggles to face those who once cast him aside. And with the village’s priest refusing to believe his innocence, this young man’s reputation could bear deadly consequences. 
Can Galen finally find the peace he needs to move on? 
Comfort of Home is the second book in the absorbing Life of Galen historical fiction series. If you like captivating characters, chances for redemption, and uplifting quests, then you’ll love Marina Pacheco’s immersive tale. 
Listen to Comfort of Home to restore a wounded man’s hope today!

Show book

The Thief of Time - A Novel

John Boyne

“A delightful epic, filled with twists and treachery, and vividly told” from the New York Times–bestselling author of All the Broken Places (The Herald).

John Boyne became internationally known for his acclaimed novels Crippen and the bestselling The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Now, for the first time in the US comes The Thief of Time, the book that started the career of the author that the Irish Examiner calls “one of the best and original of the new generation of Irish writers.”

It is 1758 and Matthieu Zela is fleeing Paris after witnessing the murder of his mother and his stepfather’s execution. Matthieu’s life is characterized by one extraordinary fact: before the eighteenth century ends, he discovers that his body has stopped ageing. At the end of the twentieth century and the ripe old age of 256 he is suddenly forced to answer an uncomfortable question: what is the worth of immortality without love?

In this carefully crafted novel, The Thief of Time, John Boyne juxtaposes history and the buzz of the modern world, weaving together portraits of 1920s Hollywood, the Great Exhibition of 1851, the French Revolution, the Wall Street Crash, and other landmark events into one man’s story of murder, love, and redemption.

“Boyne is a skilful storyteller . . . The novel is superbly constructed.” —Sunday Tribune

“Boyne is creative and entertaining, particularly as he develops his characters.” —Library Journal

“One of the finest reads this reviewer has enjoyed in quite a while. It’s gripping without cliffhangers, philosophically deep without angst, honest and wise and absolutely charming. Bravo to Mr. Boyne—and when’s the next book?” —Historical Novel Society

Show book