{"product_id":"9780349131108-costanza","title":"Costanza","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'Striking fictional retelling of this true history' – Sunday Times\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBased on the true story of Costanza Piccolomini - a fierce feminist icon who has been written out of history - this unputdownable, sultry and deliciously evocative novel brings to life the dizzying rise and fall of a brilliant young woman in 1600's Rome, and Costanza reclaiming herself after she loses everything.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'In Blackmore's striking fictional retelling of this true history, Costanza refuses to accept a fate as nothing more than a victim of male exploitation' \u003ci\u003eSUNDAY TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Wonderful. This novel took over my life for the time I was buried in it. Powerful and deeply affecting' PATERSON JOSEPH\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRome, 1636: In the scorched city of Rome, the cobbled streets hum with gossip and sin.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCostanza Piccolomini is a respectable young wife - until she meets Gianlorenzo Bernini, the famed sculptor and star of Roman society, whose jet-black gaze matches his dark temper. From the second they set eyes upon each other, a fatal attraction is born.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTheir secret love burns with a passion that consumes them. But with every stolen kiss and illicit tryst, Costanza's reputation is at stake. Meanwhile, Bernini has a dangerous desire: he wants to make Costanza immortal. He vows to possess her not just in body and soul, but also in marble.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Bernini unveils his sculpture of Costanza, she is exposed as his lover, marking the undoing of their affair - and the beginning of a scandal which will rock Roman society. For Bernini would rather destroy Costanza than let her go.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBetrayed. Abandoned. Banished. This was meant to be the end of Costanza's story. But Costanza is no ordinary woman: from the ashes, she will rise.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eHistory calls her a Muse. Temptress. Fallen woman. This is \u003ci\u003eher\u003c\/i\u003e story. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCostanza \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eis a dizzying, sensual novel that brings to life a feminist icon who has been written out of history. This utterly addictive tale of desire and betrayal is perfect for fans of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Marriage Portrait \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eand \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Miniaturist.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'I loved it. Rich and evocative in its portrayal of 17th Century Rome. A fabulous, evocative novel'\u003cb\u003e Elizabeth Chadwick\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'From the first page I was hooked. Love, lust, fury and betrayal leap from the page. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to read a true feminist retelling'\u003cb\u003e Louise Hare, author of \u003ci\u003eThis Lovely City\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'This has to be my book of the year! Full of passion and desire. A story of the resilience of women in the face of male power' \u003cb\u003eSheila O'Flanagan, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Honeymoon Affair\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A gorgeous tale of female resilience steeped in the glamour and danger of renaissance-era Rome. Blackmore restores the lively \u003ci\u003eCostanza\u003c\/i\u003e from a footnote in Bernini's story to the heroine of her own' \u003cb\u003eLuna McNamara, author of \u003ci\u003ePsyche and Eros\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A revelation. A splendid debut - brava! And a super summer read' \u003cb\u003eEllen Alpsten, author of \u003ci\u003eTsarina\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Sumptuous, immersive and bold, \u003ci\u003eCostanza\u003c\/i\u003e breathes life into a woman frozen in marble for three hundred years, finally giving her a chance to speak. \u003ci\u003eCostanza\u003c\/i\u003e is both a cathartic cry and a clarion call for justice for generations of forgotten women' \u003cb\u003eHesse Phillips, author of \u003ci\u003eLightborne\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'I was mesmerised by \u003ci\u003eCostanza\u003c\/i\u003e, a searing, fierce tale of obsession, revenge, and resilience. An unforgettable debut novel' \u003cb\u003eNaomi Kelsey, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Burnings\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'I sat up into the early hours, unable to drag myself away from\u003ci\u003e Costanza\u003c\/i\u003e - what a joy! Rachel Blackmore rescues Costanza, wronged and defiant, from the shadows of history' \u003cb\u003eKaren Powell, author of \u003ci\u003eFifteen Wild Decembers\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Like all the best writers of historical fiction, Blackmore uses her examination of the past to shed light on the present day, in this searing indictment of the treatment and objectification of women. Meticulously researched, atmospheric and beautifully observed, this is a heartbreaking but ultimately triumphant story of one woman's determination to follow her own path' \u003cb\u003eBridget Walsh, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Innocents\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A shocking story. Deeply felt. Quite apart from anything else, I will look at Bernini in a new light' \u003cb\u003eElizabeth Buchan, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Museum of Broken Promises\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\u003ci\u003eCostanza \u003c\/i\u003eis such a stunner of a novel - still thinking about it and I've been recommending it to everyone! Get it on your summer reading lists, people!!' \u003cb\u003ePenelope Slocombe, author of \u003ci\u003eSunbirds\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A stunning read - very powerful. The writing is so beautiful and the historical detail mesmerising' \u003cb\u003eNicola Cornick, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Forgotten Sister\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55563211112822,"sku":"9780349131108","price":16.04,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/orig_34010619.jpg?v=1753427414","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9780349131108-costanza","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}