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Costanza
'Striking fictional retelling of this true history' – Sunday Times
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Check link for latest rating. ( 1,433 ratings, 268 reviews)
Brief Description
'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' SUNDAY TIMES Rome, 1636: In the scorched city of Rome, the cobbled streets hum with gossip and sin... Costanza Piccolomini is a...
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Costanza
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Based on the true story of Costanza Piccolomini - a fierce feminist icon who has been written out of history - Costanza brings to life the dizzying rise and fall of a brilliant young woman in 1600's Rome.
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Description
'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' SUNDAY TIMES
Rome, 1636: In the scorched city of Rome, the cobbled streets hum with gossip and sin... Costanza 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.
Their 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.
When 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.
Betrayed. 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...
History calls her a Muse. Temptress. Fallen woman. This is her story. Based on a true story, Costanza brings to life a feminist icon who has been written out of history. Perfect for fans of The Marriage Portrait and The Miniaturist.
'Emotionally intense' DAILY MAIL
'Stunning' JENNIE GODFREY
'This novel took over my life' PATERSON JOSEPH
'I loved it' ELIZABETH CHADWICK
'This has to be my book of the year!' SHEILA O'FLANAGAN
'A revelation' ELLEN ALPSTEN
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780349131122
Publisher: John Murray Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 05 June 2025
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Renegade Books
Contributors:
- Translated by Priscilla Layne
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 38.0mm
Width: 132.0mm
Height: 200.0mm
Weight: 340g
Pages: 432
Collections
About the Author
Born in Birmingham, Rachel spent her childhood in the Northeast, then the Midlands. She studied history at King's College London, where her fascination for women's history took root. After a brief stint in politics, Rachel built a senior career in corporate communications. In 2021, she was runner-up in the Harper's Bazaar Short Story Competition and won the Irish Writers Centre 2022 Novel Fair. Rachel lives in London with her three teenagers, two cats and one dog.
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