The Silent Madonna, Michelle Damiani
The Silent Madonna, Michelle Damiani
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
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The Silent Madonna

Author: Michelle Damiani

Narrator: Nicol Zanzarella

Unabridged: 12 hr 56 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 06/08/2021


Synopsis

A ruined castle. A town picking up the pieces. And a mysterious stranger who could change everything.

The fire may be out, but smoke and suspicion still linger in Santa Lucia. Though the townspeople still gather for espresso at the town café and swap recipes at the butcher shop, their iridescent blue sky is clouded by a veil of uncertainty and mistrust. The statue of the Madonna, set in a wall outside the café, watches it all in collected silence.

But when New Yorker Alessandro arrives to claim his inheritance—the derelict castle and the charred olive trees that surround it—it unearths secrets thought long buried. His renovation plans set off a chain reaction of dangerous relationships and forbidden romance while exposing explosive truths—not just for himself, but for all the people who call this village home.

Can the power of the Madonna save Alessandro and the villagers? Or will the truths brought to the surface trap Santa Lucia in an inescapable web of deceit and anger?

About Michelle Damiani

Michelle Damiani is a freelance writer, clinical psychologist, and food lover currently living in Charlottesville, Virginia. Her heart, however, is in Spello, Italy, where she and her family spent a year growing accustomed to being fish out of water, grappling with the hardships of parenting on foreign soil, and ultimately cleaving into the soul of Italian village life. Before that year abroad, Michelle wrote short fiction-one of her stories was awarded first place in the Hook Short Fiction contest, juried by author John Grisham. While in Italy, she used the time that her children were in Italian public schools to write a blog about their experiences. The blog, Il Bel Centro, was awarded the bronze award for best Italian blog by Expatsblog.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Cynthia (Bingeing On Books) on April 16, 2019

I received the ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed by this one. I absolutely loved the first book of the series and I adore the author's memoir on her year of living in Italy. In some ways, this book was very charming. There is still tal......more

Goodreads review by Faith on May 05, 2020

I want to be a citizen of Santa Lucia just based on this wonderful second book in the series! A community filled with interesting citizens, young and old, whose lives are filled with challenges, intrigue, relationships, and mystery! Highly recommend this as a definite must read!!......more

Goodreads review by Paul on March 28, 2019

This is a sequel to Santa Lucia, which I absolutely loved. So, I had high hopes for the second book in this series—and the book surpassed my expectations! I loved the magic and light themes in the first book, and The Silent Madonna continues those. It follows most of the characters from the first bo......more

Goodreads review by Joan Shaw on July 06, 2022

I was very disappointed in this book. It felt like a first draft with new storylines popping up every few pages. Several of the characters seemed based on clichés and their dialogue and behavior seemed unlikely and/or unbelievable. The premise of the book is great - but the dysfunctional drama of th......more

Goodreads review by Debbie on July 27, 2023

I truly enjoy how Michelle brings small town life alive for her readers and focuses on strong character development. The story continues to build and change, and sway with the times, just like real life with a little extra Oomph. This book felt a little redundant / overkill on the Madonna part but I......more