Claire Clairmont's perilous quest to learn the fate of her daughter with Lord Byron enters its final stages in this last in a captivating historical trilogy based on the 'summer of 1816' Byron/Shelley group.
Italy, 1873. Claire Clairmont, one of the last surviving members of the
Byron/Shelley circle, is determined to uncover the true fate of Allegra, her
daughter conceived with Lord Byron. But her quest so far has been fraught with
danger, and Claire knows she has enemies who will stop at nothing to keep past
secrets hidden.
When she learns of a stunning revelation involving the abbess and Allegra,
Claire returns to the convent of Bagnacavallo with her close companions to
confront the abbess, and soon finds herself grappling with a series of chilling
and threatening events.
As Claire finally closes in on the truth, could someone in her closest circle
be plotting against her? And can she survive long enough to get the answers she
craves for?
Excerpt
En route to Bagnacavallo, Italy
July 1873
All of my instincts told me I was moving closer to the
truth, an unknown land that seemed to lurk just beyond life’s next momentous
turn . . . and I could not stop now. I had already risked everything at this
late stage of my life, seen men killed before my eyes, journeyed across Italy
from Florence to Ravenna – asked so much of those who loved me. And I refused
to allow myself to doubt the purpose of my quest or dishonor the sacrifices of
my dearest ones after all these perils and pitfalls. No, I would go forward and
never look back.
At least I would know the whole story once and for all.
I would learn everything that had been hidden behind a veil
of deception.
I, Claire Clairmont, the almost-famous member of the
Byron/Shelley quartet, could not allow myself the luxury of changing course
when I was on the verge of knowing whether my daughter conceived with the
infamous poet, Lord Byron, had survived the typhus epidemic that supposedly
took her life in 1822. Byron had been my greatest love and my most enduring
torment, but I never regretted giving birth to our daughter, even when I lost
her. To have my beautiful little girl, even for a short time, had been like
reaching for a flower and having it bloom in my hand, only to wither away. A
forever moment, so brief and poignant.
Allegrina.
The child whom I loved more than life itself.
Was it possible that she still lived?
About the Author
Marty Ambrose is the author of a historical mystery trilogy: Claire's Last Secret, A Shadowed Fate, and Forever Past, all set around the Byron/Shelley circle in nineteenth-century Italy. Her novels have been published by Severn House (U.K. and U.S.) and Thomas Schluck (Germany), earning starred reviews in Publisher's Weekly, as well as finalist status in the Florida Writers Association's Literary Palm Award. Her work has been featured internationally in blogs, journals, and websites.Website ~~ Facebook ~~ Instagram ~~ Twitter ~~ Goodreads ~~ BookBub
Sounds good.
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt, Forever Past sounds like an excellent read, thanks for sharing it with me!
ReplyDeletelooks interesting
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds interesting.
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