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debtat2's review against another edition
5.0
Perfect read to curl up warm and snug with, a brew to hand and get swept away into a beautiful story.
I love this type of book, dual layer stories in different time spans and this book didn’t disappoint 🙂
Set in 2017 and 1704 and centers around 2 women, Milly and Anastasia. Decades apart and yet their paths cross in a stunning way.
1704 Anastasia was planning to elope with the love of her life and escape her abusive father, the owner of a mill and has set up an arranged marriage to a wealthy silk weaver in exchange for wiping his gambling debts. Her forced marriage takes her to a villa in Venice where she discovers her husband is possibly worse than her father. She is kept locked up in a bedroom for months and each night her husband forces himself upon her in hopes of siring an heir.
2017 Milly has been in a relationship with a married man, who just happens to be her boss as well. When he decides he wants to end things with Milly she jumps at the opportunity to travel to Italy to research the silk weaving business for an article in a magazine.
There she meets Lorenzo, owner of the beautiful country villa near Venice where she is staying. She finds herself drawn to a painting of a beautiful young woman and sets out to find out who the woman was and how she came to be on Lorenzo’s wall. She also finds herself drawn to the handsome Italian himself.
This book is a voyage of discovery for both women as they struggle to find away to heal themselves and gain their independence.
The story takes us from Spitalfields in London through France, Amsterdam, Verona, Lake Garda to Venice on a journey of discovery full of passion, love, heartbreak and self-discovery.
Beautifully written blending fact with fiction and the lives and times of the two women immersing you into their worlds.
I love this type of book, dual layer stories in different time spans and this book didn’t disappoint 🙂
Set in 2017 and 1704 and centers around 2 women, Milly and Anastasia. Decades apart and yet their paths cross in a stunning way.
1704 Anastasia was planning to elope with the love of her life and escape her abusive father, the owner of a mill and has set up an arranged marriage to a wealthy silk weaver in exchange for wiping his gambling debts. Her forced marriage takes her to a villa in Venice where she discovers her husband is possibly worse than her father. She is kept locked up in a bedroom for months and each night her husband forces himself upon her in hopes of siring an heir.
2017 Milly has been in a relationship with a married man, who just happens to be her boss as well. When he decides he wants to end things with Milly she jumps at the opportunity to travel to Italy to research the silk weaving business for an article in a magazine.
There she meets Lorenzo, owner of the beautiful country villa near Venice where she is staying. She finds herself drawn to a painting of a beautiful young woman and sets out to find out who the woman was and how she came to be on Lorenzo’s wall. She also finds herself drawn to the handsome Italian himself.
This book is a voyage of discovery for both women as they struggle to find away to heal themselves and gain their independence.
The story takes us from Spitalfields in London through France, Amsterdam, Verona, Lake Garda to Venice on a journey of discovery full of passion, love, heartbreak and self-discovery.
Beautifully written blending fact with fiction and the lives and times of the two women immersing you into their worlds.
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
5.0
If you love Italy, a moving, multilayered story with stories woven together like silk itself, two great character leads, a memorable journey and evocative landscapes then this is the book for you
Visit the locations with the Literary Travel Agency: The Silk Trade
I’ve just spent the most luscious three days cocooned in this novel which details the interwoven stories of two women across the centuries and tied to the silk trade in some way. Right that’s enough of the silk related puns but it’s hard not to do as this novel just oozes and evokes everything about the magical history of such a fascinating theme.
There’s some really emotional scenes in this book too – harm and suffering of both women with one going to great lengths to escape her situation. There’s lots going on here, lots of emotions and edge of the seats moments where the chapter ended jumped to the other story at just the right, end of the bridge moment before splash the next chapter comes along.
The evocative writing is just gorgeous – the scene setting has as much flourish as a gondolier trying to entice you onto the Grand Canal.If ever there was a novel I’d like to step inside, this is it.
There is such detail about the silk trade here too – what a fascinating history and story to this! – but this weaves seamlessly into the plot (sorry there’s another silk reference again). I particularly loved the story set in the past and how many real life characters in the silk trade were placed alongside the fictional ones.
Oh and the locations! Italy the lakes, Amsterdam, Spitalfields Market in London…!
Seamlessly written and researched. Rix weaves magic and more. The locations are lusciously Italian and the story twists and turns like the ragged mountain roads past the calm flowing lakes to the bustling city of Venice and beyond. “Evocative and captivating” barely does the book justice
Visit the locations with the Literary Travel Agency: The Silk Trade
I’ve just spent the most luscious three days cocooned in this novel which details the interwoven stories of two women across the centuries and tied to the silk trade in some way. Right that’s enough of the silk related puns but it’s hard not to do as this novel just oozes and evokes everything about the magical history of such a fascinating theme.
There’s some really emotional scenes in this book too – harm and suffering of both women with one going to great lengths to escape her situation. There’s lots going on here, lots of emotions and edge of the seats moments where the chapter ended jumped to the other story at just the right, end of the bridge moment before splash the next chapter comes along.
The evocative writing is just gorgeous – the scene setting has as much flourish as a gondolier trying to entice you onto the Grand Canal.If ever there was a novel I’d like to step inside, this is it.
There is such detail about the silk trade here too – what a fascinating history and story to this! – but this weaves seamlessly into the plot (sorry there’s another silk reference again). I particularly loved the story set in the past and how many real life characters in the silk trade were placed alongside the fictional ones.
Oh and the locations! Italy the lakes, Amsterdam, Spitalfields Market in London…!
Seamlessly written and researched. Rix weaves magic and more. The locations are lusciously Italian and the story twists and turns like the ragged mountain roads past the calm flowing lakes to the bustling city of Venice and beyond. “Evocative and captivating” barely does the book justice
steph1rothwell's review against another edition
4.0
I like historical fiction and usually read it when I need a break from the usual crime fiction. Whilst this is definitely a historical novel I would also categorise it as romantic fiction and this is a genre that I don’t usually read.
The two narrators are Anastasia in the 1700s and Millie in modern-day. It was Anastasia whose tale I enjoyed the most. She didn’t have the happiest childhood, her father ruled by tyranny, regularly beating his wife and children. When he loses everything gambling he offers Anastasia as an alternative to his business. It doesn’t take her long to realise that her new life is just as bad as her old. But she is clever and has people who are willing to help.
Millie is a journalist who is in Italy to research a storyline regarding silk. She has recently broken up with her partner and soon gets close to Lorenzo and his daughter Bella. Whilst most of the novel concerns Anastasia, Millie is also important to the storyline, it is her who first becomes aware of Anastasia was.
I thought Anastasia was an amazing character. Very independent, and after what she goes through she is determined to put herself first. But she is also loyal to friends and family and those who helped her when she needed them. I liked Anastasia’s desire to succeed as an artist and use her skill to help her family prosper. Considering the time it is set she must have been strong-willed. A lesser character, Veronica, was also one that I liked. She was somebody who was prepared to lose everything to do the right thing.
I struggled to like Millie as much. I felt I needed to know more about her than her relationship with her ex Max, and her feelings for Lorenzo. I would have liked to see her connect Anastasia to Lorenzo but that is probably due to my interest in genealogy.
The section at the back of the book that listed the characters who were real and who were fictionalised was helpful. I had no idea that some of them were real people. Italy sounds an amazing place, especially Venice. I could picture the grandeur in all areas of the novel.
I always enjoy reading about the past, and even though this book wasn’t entirely how I expected it to be I did enjoy it. It’s rare that I read romance novels but maybe I do need to broaden my choice of reading.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received.
The two narrators are Anastasia in the 1700s and Millie in modern-day. It was Anastasia whose tale I enjoyed the most. She didn’t have the happiest childhood, her father ruled by tyranny, regularly beating his wife and children. When he loses everything gambling he offers Anastasia as an alternative to his business. It doesn’t take her long to realise that her new life is just as bad as her old. But she is clever and has people who are willing to help.
Millie is a journalist who is in Italy to research a storyline regarding silk. She has recently broken up with her partner and soon gets close to Lorenzo and his daughter Bella. Whilst most of the novel concerns Anastasia, Millie is also important to the storyline, it is her who first becomes aware of Anastasia was.
I thought Anastasia was an amazing character. Very independent, and after what she goes through she is determined to put herself first. But she is also loyal to friends and family and those who helped her when she needed them. I liked Anastasia’s desire to succeed as an artist and use her skill to help her family prosper. Considering the time it is set she must have been strong-willed. A lesser character, Veronica, was also one that I liked. She was somebody who was prepared to lose everything to do the right thing.
I struggled to like Millie as much. I felt I needed to know more about her than her relationship with her ex Max, and her feelings for Lorenzo. I would have liked to see her connect Anastasia to Lorenzo but that is probably due to my interest in genealogy.
The section at the back of the book that listed the characters who were real and who were fictionalised was helpful. I had no idea that some of them were real people. Italy sounds an amazing place, especially Venice. I could picture the grandeur in all areas of the novel.
I always enjoy reading about the past, and even though this book wasn’t entirely how I expected it to be I did enjoy it. It’s rare that I read romance novels but maybe I do need to broaden my choice of reading.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received.
alic59books's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
gretel7's review against another edition
3.0
I received this ARC from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.
The story is told in two timelines, 1704: Anastasia and 2017: Millie. Anastasia desperately wants to break away from her abusive father to marry her love. Millie just got dumped and goes to Italy to heal her heart, then she finds the love of her life.
This is not a historical fiction novel but so much more a historical romance novel, heavy on the romance. Not my favorite genre. The writing is ok, but a bit sophomoric.
3☆
The story is told in two timelines, 1704: Anastasia and 2017: Millie. Anastasia desperately wants to break away from her abusive father to marry her love. Millie just got dumped and goes to Italy to heal her heart, then she finds the love of her life.
This is not a historical fiction novel but so much more a historical romance novel, heavy on the romance. Not my favorite genre. The writing is ok, but a bit sophomoric.
3☆
karlou's review against another edition
4.0
I downloaded The Silk Weaver's Wife a little unsure about whether I would really enjoy it. I love historical fiction but tend to be drawn to darker novels. However, the dual narrative in this tempted me to give it a try and I'm very glad I did. This is a beautifully evocative novel, the two stories complementing each other as the connection between them is touchingly revealed as the book progresses.
The 2017 setting features Millie, an award winning journalist whose career success isn't matched in her personal life. A long affair with a married man has left her with little more than 'soulless white china.' When she is asked to go to Italy to write a feature on an initiative to reinvigorate the silk industry there she doesn't only uncover a mystery about an unknown woman in a portrait, she also discovers what it is she really wants from life. If this book was just about Millie I possibly wouldn't have picked it up, I'm not really a big reader of romantic fiction. That said, it is a lovely, emotional story. There aren't any big surprises but then romantic novels aren't about big, dramatic twists, they're about wanting a couple to fall in love and enjoying the journey to the perhaps inevitable but no less satisfactory conclusion. And The Silk Weaver's Wife does that very well. Millie is a believable, relatable character. She may be the other woman in an affair, but she is self-aware and likeable and it's not difficult to hope she ends up with the right man.
For me though, the real strength of The Silk Weaver's Wife is Anastasia's story. I was gripped from the start by the chapters set in the early 1700s. Anastasia's father is a vicious, brutal man and it's thanks to his horrific actions that she finds herself trapped in a controlling, abusive marriage. Anastasia's treatment in the early chapters mean this part of the book isn't an easy read, nevertheless it is compelling. I was willing her to escape, there are scenes here of genuine nail-biting tension. Anastasia is a character with a tenacious spirit, readers will be desperately hoping she eventually has the life she deserves.
The Silk Weaver's Wife is divided into three, the name of these parts mirror the arcs both Anastasia and Millie experience; the Silken Thread of Part I applicable both to Anastasia's obvious entrapment but also to Millie's affair with Max, which has seen her trapped in what has become a stagnant relationship; the Metamorphosis of Part II sees them both having to learn to accept the changes in their life leading to their Regeneration in Part III when they eventually realise what it is they want from their lives. Their progress from beginning to end is sometimes frustrating, often moving and ultimately a touching, absorbing read. Debbie Rix has interwoven an emotional story of love and loss with fascinating historical details. I doubt I'm the only one who will be moved to want to learn more about Italy's silk history. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of some real life historical figures which really added to the novel's authenticity. The book is a love letter to Italy too, this beautiful, romantic country is brought vividly to life. I can definitely see The Silk Weaver's Wife being a popular holiday read this summer, the warmth of the Italian sun is matched by this captivating and heartwarming novel.
My grateful thanks to the publishers for inviting me to read a copy through Netgalley.
The 2017 setting features Millie, an award winning journalist whose career success isn't matched in her personal life. A long affair with a married man has left her with little more than 'soulless white china.' When she is asked to go to Italy to write a feature on an initiative to reinvigorate the silk industry there she doesn't only uncover a mystery about an unknown woman in a portrait, she also discovers what it is she really wants from life. If this book was just about Millie I possibly wouldn't have picked it up, I'm not really a big reader of romantic fiction. That said, it is a lovely, emotional story. There aren't any big surprises but then romantic novels aren't about big, dramatic twists, they're about wanting a couple to fall in love and enjoying the journey to the perhaps inevitable but no less satisfactory conclusion. And The Silk Weaver's Wife does that very well. Millie is a believable, relatable character. She may be the other woman in an affair, but she is self-aware and likeable and it's not difficult to hope she ends up with the right man.
For me though, the real strength of The Silk Weaver's Wife is Anastasia's story. I was gripped from the start by the chapters set in the early 1700s. Anastasia's father is a vicious, brutal man and it's thanks to his horrific actions that she finds herself trapped in a controlling, abusive marriage. Anastasia's treatment in the early chapters mean this part of the book isn't an easy read, nevertheless it is compelling. I was willing her to escape, there are scenes here of genuine nail-biting tension. Anastasia is a character with a tenacious spirit, readers will be desperately hoping she eventually has the life she deserves.
The Silk Weaver's Wife is divided into three, the name of these parts mirror the arcs both Anastasia and Millie experience; the Silken Thread of Part I applicable both to Anastasia's obvious entrapment but also to Millie's affair with Max, which has seen her trapped in what has become a stagnant relationship; the Metamorphosis of Part II sees them both having to learn to accept the changes in their life leading to their Regeneration in Part III when they eventually realise what it is they want from their lives. Their progress from beginning to end is sometimes frustrating, often moving and ultimately a touching, absorbing read. Debbie Rix has interwoven an emotional story of love and loss with fascinating historical details. I doubt I'm the only one who will be moved to want to learn more about Italy's silk history. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of some real life historical figures which really added to the novel's authenticity. The book is a love letter to Italy too, this beautiful, romantic country is brought vividly to life. I can definitely see The Silk Weaver's Wife being a popular holiday read this summer, the warmth of the Italian sun is matched by this captivating and heartwarming novel.
My grateful thanks to the publishers for inviting me to read a copy through Netgalley.
vicki_cosy_books's review
4.0
When I read historical fiction, what I really, really want is to be completely transported to another time and place. I want rich and evocative description, an epic journey of discovery, awe inspiring battles against adversity and a romance to sweep me away. The Silk Weavers Wife fits the bill pretty damn well!
Switching between past and present, the book tells the story of two women in the midst of a metamorphosis. In the 21st century, Millie is 38 and in the midst of a messy affair with her married boss and her dreams of a family of her own are starting to fade. Rewind four hundred years, and Anastasia has been denied marriage to her true love by her cruel and violent father and forced into a loveless marriage to pay off a debt.
I absolutely adored the sections set in the 1700’s as Debbie Rix brings to life the sights and sounds of early eighteenth century Italy – transporting the reader effortlessly between the rural tranquility of Lake Garda and the bustle and noise of Venice. Anastasia is everything you want in a heroine – brave, passionate and determined to be independent. Given the time and her gender, Anastasia might easily have accepted her fate, but she can not be contained, and inspired by the silk moths she observes while a prisoner in her husbands home, she sets about a metamorphosis into an educated, self sufficient woman of talent, with a strong sense of loyalty.
Millie is somewhat of a contrast. Her trap is of her own making and I found it frustrating that despite being an intelligent woman, she was settling for being the mistress of the unbearably arrogant Max. But whether the prison is enforced or self inflicted, this book is about finding the courage to make changes and transform your own destiny, and ties together nicely the stories of both women.
In both past and present, I found the backdrop of the Italian Silk industry fascinating and absorbing! From the larvae of the silk moth to the exquisite finished pieces of silk, I was intrigued. I can only imagine the dedication and work that went into creating such beautiful material using ancient processes and thoroughly enjoyed learning a little about it.
I enjoyed The Silk weavers Wife, in particular Anastasia’s section, and found myself completely absorbed and enchanted while reading about her life. I also thought the romantic element was done very well, both in past and present, and was enough to sweep the reader up in without overshadowing this gorgeous story. With beautiful descriptions, a brave and inspiring heroine and the fascinating glimpse into the ancient art of silk making, I savoured this book and looked forward to a chance to pick it up again. A winner for me.
Switching between past and present, the book tells the story of two women in the midst of a metamorphosis. In the 21st century, Millie is 38 and in the midst of a messy affair with her married boss and her dreams of a family of her own are starting to fade. Rewind four hundred years, and Anastasia has been denied marriage to her true love by her cruel and violent father and forced into a loveless marriage to pay off a debt.
I absolutely adored the sections set in the 1700’s as Debbie Rix brings to life the sights and sounds of early eighteenth century Italy – transporting the reader effortlessly between the rural tranquility of Lake Garda and the bustle and noise of Venice. Anastasia is everything you want in a heroine – brave, passionate and determined to be independent. Given the time and her gender, Anastasia might easily have accepted her fate, but she can not be contained, and inspired by the silk moths she observes while a prisoner in her husbands home, she sets about a metamorphosis into an educated, self sufficient woman of talent, with a strong sense of loyalty.
Millie is somewhat of a contrast. Her trap is of her own making and I found it frustrating that despite being an intelligent woman, she was settling for being the mistress of the unbearably arrogant Max. But whether the prison is enforced or self inflicted, this book is about finding the courage to make changes and transform your own destiny, and ties together nicely the stories of both women.
In both past and present, I found the backdrop of the Italian Silk industry fascinating and absorbing! From the larvae of the silk moth to the exquisite finished pieces of silk, I was intrigued. I can only imagine the dedication and work that went into creating such beautiful material using ancient processes and thoroughly enjoyed learning a little about it.
I enjoyed The Silk weavers Wife, in particular Anastasia’s section, and found myself completely absorbed and enchanted while reading about her life. I also thought the romantic element was done very well, both in past and present, and was enough to sweep the reader up in without overshadowing this gorgeous story. With beautiful descriptions, a brave and inspiring heroine and the fascinating glimpse into the ancient art of silk making, I savoured this book and looked forward to a chance to pick it up again. A winner for me.
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