I can simultaneously hear the old man telling the story and see him as the child in the tale. The author's website can be found at http://ellenewmark.com/. Library Journal states, "Newmark uses great historical detail and marvelous descriptions of food to make this debut historical novel come alive." Here is the first couple paragraphs:It is 1498, the dawn of the Renaissance, and Venice teems with rumors of an ancient book that holds the secret to unimaginable power. It is an alchemist's dream, with recipes for gold, immortality, and undying love. Everyone, rich and poor alike, speculates about the long-buried secrets scrawled in its pages and where it could possibly be hidden within the labyrinthine city. But while those who seek the book will stop at nothing to get it, those who know will die to protect it.
As a storm of intrigue and desire circles the republic that grew from the sea, Luciano, a penniless orphan with a quick wit and an even faster hand, is plucked up by an illustrious chef and hired, for reasons he cannot yet begin to understand, as an apprentice in the palace kitchen. There, in the lavish home of the most powerful man in Venice, he is initiated into the chef's rich and aromatic world, with all its seductive ingredients and secrets. Luciano's loyalty to his street friends and the passion he holds for a convent girl named Francesca remain, but it is not long before he, too, is caught up in the madness. After he witnesses a shocking murder in the Palace dining room, he realizes that nothing is as it seems and that no one, not even those he's come to rely on most, can be trusted. Armed with a precocious mind and an insatiable curiosity, Luciano embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the truth. What he discovers will swing open the shutters of his mind, inflame his deepest desires, and leave an indelible mark on his soul.
This book reminds me of the storytelling in THE THIRTEENTH TALE by Diane Setterfield. Not the same type of story, of course, but the unfolding of the events and the desire to know what happened next and then next. I had thought I had seen somewhere that there was a new book out by her but I can't find evidence of it anywhere now so I guess I'm mistaken. I would definitely, at this point, read more by her.My name is Luciano -- just Luciano. I'm Venetian by birth, old now and chained to my memories, compelled to return, link by link, seeking clarity.
There's a matter about which I am sworn to secrecy, but times have changed since I took my oath. In my lifetime, I have witnessed man's emergence from centuries of darkness. Great thinkers have unlocked our minds, and great artists have unlocked our eyes and our hearts. Some are calling it a renaissance -- a rebirth, and it will reverberate far into the future because of a miraculous new invention called the printing press. Perhaps, now, it would be a disservice to the advancement of knowledge to remain silent. Perhaps the pendulum has swung a full arc, and the time has come for me to speak. If I proceed with caution ... well, those who have ears let them hear.
The intrigue took place in my youth, when I served as an apprentice to the doge's chef in Venice. I first suspected some unholy mischief when the doge invited an uncouth peasant to dine with him in the palace. In the time-honored tradition of servants everywhere, I assumed my post behind the the slightly opened service door to the dining room in order to spy, and I marveled at the sight of them together: the doge, chief magistrate of the Most Serene Republic of Venice, gracious and bejeweled, sat with his guest, a bewildered paesano with calloused hands, dirt under his fingernails, and unwashed hair that had been hastily wetted and pushed off his face to show respect.
Today's Blog/Website is a blog by Janet Rudolph of Mystery Readers Journal fame about chocolate http://dyingforchocolate.blogspot.com/. What's Valentine's Day without chocolate?
We've decided to combine our cable and telephone services into the one service as offered by our cable company. I don't usually like to combine like that into one company, giving them control over so much, but they will be saving us some money and that's important in these times. So the guy was here this morning and got introduced to Tug right away. Luckily he said he liked dogs. To Tug, this was his new best friend. Oy.
Got a call from the University today saying that due to the economic downturn, they are making cuts and the class I was going to teach this summer was one of them, so sorry. And the hits just keep on coming. Actually, I kind of suspected something was up because I hadn't heard from them in a while. And I'm not surprised; it's tough all over and getting tougher.
Had a good walk with Tug. Cleaned my desk and now have to rearrange everything. I'll probably drop off taxes info tomorrow. Nothing really pressing on tv tonight so I expect I'll be reading. Yay!
Much love,
PK the Bookeemonster
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