Friday, October 7, 2016

Book Beginnings: A Book of Secrets: Illegitimate Daughters, Absent Fathers


This book surprised me in the best way. Most of the people in "A Book of Secrets: Illegitimate Daughters, Absent Fathers" by Michael Holroyd are not very familiar to me. While reading this biographical book I found the people fascinating and began to care about them.
In the hills above the small Italian town of Ravello is the Villa Cimbrone which pulls them all together, including the author and his wife, Margaret Drabble.
Here is the quote for Book Beginnings:
"On 24 February 1905 Rodin dines in London with a new benefactor Ernest Beckett (shortly to emerge, like a butterfly from its chrysalis, as the second Lord Grimthorpe).  page 8
I am linking to Book Beginnings
Some of the people Holroyd writes about: Violet Trefusis (author and lover of Vita Sackville-West). Alice Keppel, mother of Violet and mistress to Ernest Beckett, the second Lord Grimthorpe and famously mistress to the Prince of Wales. Vita Sackville-West and her strong marriage to Harold Nicolson yet she had a passionate lesbian affair with Violet. Eve Fairfax, muse to Auguste Rodin. There are many interesting stories here.
Meanwhile the romantic Villa Cimbrone is a character in the lives of these people.
Here is a link to Friday 56
"The focus of Ernest's life had now moved to the Villa Cimbrone. It was a vision: a magic place to which, he believed, he would always return. For what he sought on his travels, what answered his dreams, he would bring back to Cimbrone, hoping to make it the centre of his life." p.64 (not page 56, I know!). 

15 comments:

Katherine P said...

I haven't heard of this book but it looks like something I'd enjoy. I love when an author can make us care about characters we can't identify with.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I'll look for this book at the library. Thanks for the review. Hugs!

Sandra Nachlinger said...

Sounds fascinating! I love the Italian setting.
My Friday post features The Songbird’s Call.

HappyK said...

Sounds good!

Kathy Martin said...

Sounds like a bunch of tangled relationships. I hope you are enjoying the book. This week I have Death Among Rubies by R. J. Koreto - a historical mystery. Happy reading!

Unknown said...

It's always fun when a book surprises you. Especially when the characters reach out to you:)

My Friday 56 from The Appeal Of Evil

Anne@HeadFullofBooks said...

So this book is a biography of the author? The tile alone is a hook. My Friday Quotes

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the review. Looks like it might be rainy/windy in north GA this weekend so reading might be a good past time!

Maria said...

I love books set in the Italian countryside - always makes me think of the movie Stealing Beauty with Liv Tyler - this sounds like it could be very interesting since Rodin is one of the main characters - here's my Friday meme

Mari said...

This sounds like a good one!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Terra - I haven't read anything by Michael Holroyd ... but now you've highlighted him and this book about Italy ... it sounds fascinating. He is a highly respected biographer ... what a great post ... I shall definitely do something about reading it - cheers Hilary

fredamans said...

I hope you love it! Happy Sunday!

Pom Pom said...

Hi Terra ! It's sounds interesting!

Lauren Stoolfire said...

Thanks for sharing! Happy reading.

Check out my Friday Linkups.

A Colorful World said...

It sounds like a lovely book!