Venice - Late 1700s

Marietta Fontana and Elena Baccini are growing up together as residents of the Ospedale della Pieta, a music school for orphans. They absorb the atmosphere around them, learning to sing beautifully, as well as becoming mentors to younger children. Theirs is a close-knit friendship that will be tested in their adult lives as they move out of the sanctuary of the Pieta. The strictness of life in the school prevents the girls from meeting many men, but when they do, it sets off a firestorm in both of their lives.

Marietta spent her early years with her mother, who made masks on consignment for the rich residents of Venice. One mask in particular, a gold creation that Marietta helped work on, is seen by Marietta at a concert, and she wonders who the man is who wears it. She soon discovers that it is Domenico Torrisi, a wealthy, married government leader. It's at this point that Marietta tests her freedom by pursuing an affair with a young Frenchman whom she meets at an outing. How will these two totally different men affect her life?

Elena marries into the Celano family, sworn enemies of the Torrisis, and finds that life can be more complicated than the Pieta prepared her for. Thankfully, her strong ties to Marietta make her wedded life less painful, until Marietta is wooed by the now widowed Domenico. How will this affect the girls' friendship? What of the vendetta between the two families? When Elena's unhappiness at not bearing a child sends her into the arms of another, how will Marietta protect her friend?

THE VENETIAN MASK is another of Rosalind Laker's riveting tales that is filled with sensory historical scenes and complex, well-rounded characters. Marietta and Elena are both amazingly strong, intelligent, and incredibly brave young women who have deep passions and even deeper love. Venice is reaching the end of its glorious reign, and the dark, violent lives of its ruling families come to play in this beautifully written novel. Well researched and filled with musical and artistic detail, THE VENETIAN MASK is a book to be savored.

Jani Brooks