
- 336 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Eight Strings
About this book
INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER An enthralling coming-of-age debut novel about a young woman in late 19th-century Venice who becomes a man to join the male-dominated world of the theater as a puppeteerāin the vein of Sarah Waters. Ever since her grandfather introduced her to eight-string marionettes, Francesca has dreamed of performing from the rafters of Venice's popular Minerva Theater. There's just one problem: the profession is only open to men.When her father arranges to sell her into marriage to pay off his gambling debts, Francesca flees her home. Masquerading as a male orphan named Franco, she secures an apprenticeship with the Minerva's eccentric ensemble of puppeteers. Amid the elaborate set-pieces, the glittering limes, and the wooden marionettes, she finds a place where she belongsāand grows into the person she was always meant to be: Franco.The past threatens to catch up with Franco when his childhood friend Annella reappears and recognizes him at the theater. Now a paid companion to an influential woman, Annella understands the lengths one must go to survive, and she promises to keep Franco's secret. Desire sparks between them, and they find themselves playing a dangerous game against the most powerful figures of Venice's underworld. With their livesāand the fate of the Minervaāhanging in the balance, Franco must discover who is pulling the strings before it's too late.Rich in historic detail and imbued with sharp social commentary, Eight Strings is a gorgeous, spellbinding debut that celebrates love, life, and art in all its forms.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- Map
- Chapter 1: Venice, August 1895
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Chapter 30
- Chapter 31
- Chapter 32
- Chapter 33
- Chapter 34
- Chapter 35
- Chapter 36
- Chapter 37
- Chapter 38
- Chapter 39
- Chapter 40
- Epilogue: May 1897
- A Note to Readers
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Glossary
- Sources
- Copyright