A Stopover in Venice [DECKLE EDGE] (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: fresco room, Donna Tomassa, Messer Luca, San Marco (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Walker's debut of love, loss, renewal, art and history is set in a sensually realized Venice and follows the physical and emotional wanderings of an unfulfilled wife. While on tour with her famous musician husband, Nel Everett abruptly leaves him after a fight. She ends up solo in Venice, and after a roundabout introduction involving a runaway dog Nel rescues, Nel falls in with Signora Lucrezia da Isola, a countess living in a centuries-old palazzo. The palazzo was once a convent, and the recent discovery of a fresco hidden beneath a plaster wall has brought to the palazzo a coterie of competitive art experts bent on determining who painted the fresco. Nel, meanwhile, is intrigued by a small painting in her room. A trunk discovered in the attic provides evidence that leads Nel and an art conservationist to differing conclusions about who is responsible for the artworks. As the mystery unravels, Nel begins to reassess her marriage and regain some independence. Walker's prose can come across like she's straining to write capital-L literature, but that likely won't scare off the book groups. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Walker’s debut novel is an intriguing mix of romance, art history, and mystery. Fans of Tracy Chevalier will be drawn to Walker’s blending of past and present as she tells the story of Nel, a young woman on tour in Europe with her husband, Antony, a famous musician. Frustrated with her marriage and a life that has become drab, Nel gets off the train they’re taking to Verona and returns to Venice. There she rescues a small dog, an act of mercy that leads her to the dog’s owner, a countess, handsome Matteo, and past mysteries. As Matteo painstakingly uncovers a beautiful fresco in the countess’ home, Nel reads the diaries that turn up in a back room and tell the story of the nuns who once ran a hospital there during the time of the plague. Intrigued by her new friends, a discovery that could shock the art world, and a love story that has survived the ages, Nel begins to understand what she actually wants out of life. --Katherine Boyle

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; 1 edition (August 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307267067
• ISBN-13: 978-0307267061
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #130,646 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a glorious adventure!, August 25, 2008

By	LINDSAY LAW (New Milford, CT USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a wonderfully seductive book. The contemporary story delights with mystery, discovery, the entanglements of modern-day marriage and the possibility of release through self-discovery. The historical story is a wonderfully complex maze through the history of Venice, the world of artists, and blessed with a love story that is unbearably touching.
It is refreshing, original, and deeply satisfying.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful!, September 9, 2008

By	Martha H. Saltzman "Smarty" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I just finished reading this wonderful tale of discovery that takes place in Venice. I will probably read it again after I allow a little time to savor it and let it sink in. The writing is wonderful, the characters are multifaceted and interesting; there is also a delightful little dog and, of course, the beautiful city of Venice. I couldn't put the book down, from the minute Nel steps off a train to Verona and returns alone to Venice... to the end...well, I won't tell you the end. The book is fun, intriguing, interesting and, if you love Italy and Renaissance art, you will find it a total treasure. Never formula, it is as fresh, heady and stimulating as a cup of cafe espresso. Oh, how I wish I was picking it up for the first time all over again!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, November 25, 2008

By	G. DiBartolomeo (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Was hoping for more Venice. Did not like author's style of writing. No quotation marks used in any conversations. Just ran on in an abstract and confusing way. Got too bogged down, slow, and glad to finally finish it. Will not recommend to friends and will not keep in my library.