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In this exquisitely dark debut, Kate Howard delivers a stirring tale on the cost of beauty, packed with suspense and period detail worthy of Kate Mosse, Jessie Burton, and Tracy Chevalier.Cursed from birth by the bird-shaped blemish across her face, Flavia spends much of her life hidden from the outside world. Lonely and alienated even from her family, she sabotages her sister's wedding in a fit of jealous rage and is exiled to serve in the convent of Santa Giuliana. Soon she finds that another exile dwells in the convent: a former Venetian courtesan named Ghostanza whose ostentatious appearance clashes with the otherwise austere convent and sparks gossip throughout the town. When Ghostanza claims Flavia as her ornatrix--her personal hairdresser and handmaid--Flavia is pulled into a world of glamor and concealment where admiration is everything and perfection is the ultimate, elusive goal. And she soon finds that with beauty in her grasp, in the form of the poisonous but stunning white lead cerussa, Flavia will do anything to leave her marked face behind.Rich in description and character, Kate Howard's stunning novel is painted against a vivid historical landscape with themes and characters relevant today, tackling issues of belonging, female identity, and the perception of beauty.
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About the Author:
'Dazzling... a first novel of originality and, yes, beauty' The Times
'A richly drawn cast of twisted characters... lyrical... beguiling' Vogue
'Kate Howard's marvellous debut novel creates a seething, sensual idiom entirely its own. Exquisite, earthy, witty - this is a book of rare beauty, about beauty. In this intensely-imagined, elegant and erudite novel, the story of a 16th century Italian woman's quest for beauty springs vividly to life' Wendy Wallace, author of The Painted Bridge
'A historical novel in the old fashioned style... deliciously complex and intelligent' Essie Fox, author of The Goddess and the Thief
'Richly drawn historical novel' Sheerluxe, Summer Reads 2016
'Brilliant... kept me guessing until the end' Lisa Cox, Nudge
Kate Howard received her PhD in English Literature from the University of Kent. Her extensive travels throughout Italy, especially the Umbria region, inspired her fiction. The Ornatrix is her debut novel.
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- PublisherHarry N. Abrams
- Publication date2016
- ISBN 10 1468313827
- ISBN 13 9781468313826
- BindingHardcover
- Number of pages304
- Rating
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The Ornatrix: A Novel
Published by
The Overlook Press
(2016)
ISBN 10: 1468313827
ISBN 13: 9781468313826
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