Count your nights by stars, not shadows ~ Italian Proverb
Winter in Renaissance Venice
Mia Caiozzi is determined to discover her destiny by studying the science of astronomy. But her stepmother Giulia forbids her to engage in this occupation, fearing it will lead her into danger. The ideas of Galileo are banned by the Inquisition, so Mia must study in secret.
Giulia's real name is Giulia Tofana, renowned for her poison Aqua Tofana, and she is in hiding from the Duke de Verdi's family who are intent on revenge for the death of their brother. Giulia insists Mia should live quietly out of public view. If not, it could threaten them all. But Mia doesn't understand this, and rebels against Giulia, determined to go her own way.
When the two secret lives collide, it has far-reaching and fatal consequences that will change Mia's life forever.
Set amongst opulent palazzos and shimmering canals, The Fortune Keeper is the third novel of adventure and romance based on the life and legend of Giulia Tofana, the famous poisoner.
'Her characters are so real they linger in the mind long after the book is back on the shelf' - Historical Novel Society
This is the third in a series but can stand alone as it features a new protagonist. Other two books are available if reviewers want them.
Trigger warnings:
Murder and violence in keeping with the era.
Interview
What inspired you to start writing?
I’ve always loved history, but first started writing as a poet because I hadn’t much spare time, and poems could be short snippets reflecting on every day life. Once my daughter left home, I was able to concentrate on longer form fiction, and that’s when my love of history came to the fore and when I wrote my first novel. I had no idea then that I would write fifteen more! Things that inspire me to write are often events in history where wonder, ‘What would it be like to have lived through THAT?’ In this case, Venice, a place built not on the earth, but on water, inspired me with its setting, and with its shifting allegiances to religion and the new sciences.
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
The hardest part was when the history changed. Yes, we think we know about history, but it is always subject to change as new research comes to light. In this case, new archival research revealed that my protagonist had been married twice, (before that I didn’t know she’d been married at all!) and that her daughter was actually a step-daughter, not a blood daughter. I had to incorporate these changes into a book I’d already planned, but it was an exciting discovery and one that led to a whole new plot. Often we don’t realise that history is changing, but the past is always changing, not least because our attitudes towards it have changed. For example, in the last fifty years there has been much more interest in women’s history, and women from the past who would have been ignored are now being platformed by novelists.
Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?
Giulia Tofana, the poisoner who features in these books, must have been a woman of strong mind to be able to do what she did, and get away with the deaths of so many people, and to have so many stories handed down about her. In this book she takes second place to her daughter Mia, who is much more outgoing, curious and lively. Mia is left with the burden of her mother’s mis-deeds, although at the beginning of the book she doesn’t yet know it.
I also really like the character of Zaneta. She is a woman that lives outside society and cares far more for animals than for people. She provides a down-to-earth view of life in a city where everyone is obsessed by wealth and position, and with abstract notions of God and the universe. She provides the grounding element in a world where nothing and no-one can be trusted.
If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?
I have no idea. I don’t follow celebrity culture as I’m more often reading than watching TV or films. I’m such a bookworm! So instead I’ll mention my favourite books which are also set in Italy, like The Fortune Keeper. They are Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant, The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato, and The Giant: a novel of Michelangelo’s David by Laura Morelli.
I think the real star of the book is Venice – a city unlike any other.
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
I really hope people will be intrigued by the fact that Venice in the 17th Century was full of female astrologers, and that the city itself in that era is such a fascinating place – a city where a whole melting pot of cultures met. I hope they will also come to see that often your true family is not your blood relations, but the friends who are there for you when you need them most.
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Deborah Swift
Deborah Swift is a USA TODAY bestselling author who is passionate about the past. Deborah used to be a costume designer for the BBC, before becoming a writer. Now she lives in an old English school house in a village full of 17th Century houses, near the glorious Lake District. She divides her time between writing and teaching. After taking a Masters Degree in Creative Writing, she enjoys mentoring aspiring novelists and has an award-winning historical fiction blog at her website www.deborahswift.com
Deborah loves to write about how extraordinary events in history have transformed the lives of ordinary people, and how the events of the past can live on in her books and still resonate today.
Recent books include The Poison Keeper, about the Renaissance poisoner Giulia Tofana, which was a winner of the Wishing Shelf Readers Award, and a Coffee Pot Book Club Gold Medal, and The Cipher Room set in WW2 and due for publication by Harper Collins next Spring.
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Thank you so much for hosting my interview. Deborah
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