{"product_id":"costanza-by-rachel-blackmore-9780349131108","title":"Costanza","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'In Blackmore's striking fictional retelling of this true history, Costanza refuses to accept a fate as nothing more than a victim of male exploitation' \u003cem\u003eSUNDAY TIMES\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Wonderful... This novel took over my life for the time I was buried in it. Powerful and deeply affecting' \u003cstrong\u003ePATERSON JOSEPH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRome, 1636:\u003c\/strong\u003e In the scorched city of Rome, the cobbled streets hum with gossip and sin...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCostanza Piccolomini is a respectable young wife - until she meets Gianlorenzo Bernini, the famed sculptor and star of Roman society, whose jet-black gaze matches his dark temper. From the second they set eyes upon each other, a fatal attraction is born.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTheir secret love burns with a passion that consumes them. But with every stolen kiss and illicit tryst, Costanza's reputation is at stake. Meanwhile, Bernini has a dangerous desire: he wants to make Costanza immortal. He vows to possess her not just in body and soul, but also in marble.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Bernini unveils his sculpture of Costanza, she is exposed as his lover, marking the undoing of their affair - and the beginning of a scandal which will rock Roman society. For Bernini would rather destroy Costanza than let her go.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBetrayed. Abandoned. Banished. This was meant to be the end of Costanza's story. But Costanza is no ordinary woman: from the ashes, she will rise...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistory calls her a Muse. Temptress. Fallen woman. This is \u003cem\u003eher\u003c\/em\u003e story. \u003cem\u003eCostanza\u003c\/em\u003e is a dizzying, sensual novel that brings to life a feminist icon who has been written out of history. This utterly addictive tale of desire and betrayal is perfect for fans of \u003cem\u003eThe Marriage Portrait\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Miniaturist\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'I loved it... Rich and evocative in its portrayal of 17th Century Rome. A fabulous, evocative novel' \u003cstrong\u003eElizabeth Chadwick\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'From the first page I was hooked. Love, lust, fury and betrayal leap from the page. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to read a true feminist retelling' \u003cstrong\u003eLouise Hare, author of \u003cem\u003eThis Lovely City\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'This has to be my book of the year! Full of passion and desire... A story of the resilience of women in the face of male power' \u003cstrong\u003eSheila O'Flanagan, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Honeymoon Affair\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'A gorgeous tale of female resilience steeped in the glamour and danger of renaissance-era Rome. Blackmore restores the lively \u003cem\u003eCostanza\u003c\/em\u003e from a footnote in Bernini's story to the heroine of her own' \u003cstrong\u003eLuna McNamara, author of \u003cem\u003ePsyche and Eros\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'A revelation... A splendid debut - brava! And a super summer read' \u003cstrong\u003eEllen Alpsten, author of\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47383602856172,"sku":"9780349131108","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/7764603482312.jpg?v=1773378458","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/products\/costanza-by-rachel-blackmore-9780349131108","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}