Rossetti Letter

by Christi Phillips

Book Overview

The Rossetti Letter is a captivating debut that blends fact and fiction, past and present into a vibrant, richly imagined masterpiece that traces the adventures of a 17th-century Venetian courtesan... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416527389
• ISBN13: 9781416527381
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: Gallery Books
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

One of the better debuts in recent years

I like historical novels. I don't like romances. I wound up with a copy of this book by accident, and decided to read it on the off chance it would wind up being more of the former and less of the latter. It turned out that my wish was to come true, for the most part: romance is part of the plot, but the story is interesting and very intelligent, and the characters and plot are intriguing, to say the least. The book opens with the main character, Claire Donovan. Claire's going to grad school, trying to become a historian, and her thesis is going to be on an obscure event in the history of the Republic of Venice--the Spanish Conspiracy, where a group of Spaniards conspired to overthrow the Venetian government and replace it with a Spanish Viceroy. The plot was uncovered by a Venetian courtesan who blew the whistle on the conspirators, and in doing so apparently endangered herself, perhaps even got herself killed. Claire wants to find out more about her, and explore her motives for doing what she did. The story is built in two threads. First we follow Claire for ten or twenty pages, then we follow Alessandra, the Venetian courtesan, as she learns her trade, plies it, and then is drawn into the conspiracy. As the novel progresses, the two plot threads intertwine just enough to make both enjoyable and interesting. By the end of the book, you're very comfortable with the main characters and fascinated by the outcomes of the plot. I enjoyed this book a great deal, and I would recommend it to almost anyone. It has that Latin-esque feel to it, a bit slow but warm and fascinating, too.

a great story and a fascinating history

This book really pulls you into its story. I often found it hard to put down. The Rosetti Letter gives the reader two great gifts: you get treated to an intricately woven and smart mystery, that alone would have been worth the read, but you also are presented with a surprisingly really well researched and detailed glimpse at what life was like back in 17th century Venice. That was a plus. There's two stories. First, you see a progression of events through the eyes of a young Venician courtesan who in 1618 finds herself involved with men from both sides of a burgeoning conspiracy to overthrow Venice. She chronicles about those events and her life. Four hundred years later, these writings become the historical evidence used in the second story which involves a contemporary grad student trying to finish her dissertation on the conspiracy and her quest to determine what really happened. Phillips does a great job of putting you in old Venice and making that world come alive with vivid physical desriptions and well developed characters. It was exciting to advance through the chapters because the story gets more intricate as it progresses and its pace quickens noticeably. It's the kind of book that would make a great movie and I found myself wanting to read more about the characters.

Beautifully Written ~ You will be captivated and dazzled ! !

I couldn't put this book down. What a brilliant debut for Christi Phillips. This book has two story lines. One of a woman in this century (Claire) trying to uncover historical evidence about a young Venitian courtesan's involvement in warning the Venitian government about a Spanish plot to overthrow Venice in 1618. The other story tells of the Venitian courtsean, Alessandra Rossetti's life and involvement in the intrigue. If you enjoy a good historical romance full of adventure, intrigue, romance and passion, don't pass this book up. It has it all.

wonderful narrative with a vivid portrait of Venice now and then

THE ROSSETTI LETTER follows two engrossing stories. First, the young courtesan, forced by necessity into that profession in early seventeenth century Venice and her involvement in the Spanish conspiracy. Second, the contemporary historian Claire who goes to search for the truth of the courtesan in the Venice of today, dragging a troublesome 14-year-old girl whom she must chaperone for the week, finding possible love and wonderful ancient letters and libraries along the way. A mystery slowly evolves along with an old tragic love story and a possible quirky new one. I loved it as a reader and as a fellow novelist -- I am the author of Penguin's MARRYING MOZART.

Bring it to your book club

Like any addictive pleasure, The Rossetti Letter creates a smooth and easy passage away from your everyday life and into a world of fascination and excitement. Putting it down is challenging. Finding excuses to pick it up again and put everything else in your day aside is far too easy. For those who love historical fiction, this book must be on the top of your reading pile. Same for anyone who loves a good, fast-paced story with compelling characters whose fate you care about. Fans of Venice and armchair travelers get an ample and gratifying dose of that captivating city, and the addiction this story creates leaves me eagerly awaiting Phillips' next book.