Sussurri in un giardino all'italiana

by Judith Lennox

Joanna Zulian, figlia di un erborista veneto e di una donna spagnola, ha tredici anni quando la madre muore e l'amato ma inaffidabile padre la affida alle cure del fratello, pittore veneziano. La bellezza di Joanna, elegante come una dama ma passionale come una zingara, incanta e attrae uomini troppo folli, orgogliosi e innamorati che vedono in lei una musa, un'amante, un'opera d'arte, un'ossessione, ma che si rifiutano di vedere quello che pulsa veramente nel suo animo: un divorante e irrefrenabile talento per la pittura, così straordinario da scatenare in chi le è vicino attrazione e paura allo stesso tempo. Solo il tormentato e ambizioso mercenario Toby Crow riuscirà a far breccia nel cuore di Joanna.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

520 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1993

About the author

Aka Judith Lennox-Smith

Judith Lennox lives in Cambridgeshire, England with her husband and three sons.

Reviews

[Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

16. Jahrhundert in Frankreich: Hauptprotagonistin ist Joanna, eine lebenslustige junge Frau. Zwei Männer begehren sie und Schloß Marigny, dessen Garten Joanna gestaltet. Sie gerät in einen gefährlichen Machtkampf...
Anfangs war ich etwas skeptisch, als ich mit dem Buch begann, aber dann hat mich die Story doch recht schnell fesseln können. Durchaus lesenswert!

[Joanne Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few of my favourite things!

A good plot with many twists. Liked how the main characters were introduced, starting with Joanna; the female lead. There were more woman like her with a strong sense of self than is generally portrayed, I think it's just that historians were men and governed what was recorded.
The live of Toby was sad from his childhood, and again he avoided it in a typical manly way.
But,all's well that ends well, and true love was found in the end.
All kinds of love and obsession is explored in this book. As well as it touching on a burgeoning medical knowledge and how to treat it medically; and garden design and the meaning of flowers. All with one of my favourite periods of time.

[Jackie Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This lengthy, historically based novel was a delightful read with a happy ending. The path to the end was fraught with difficulty and I enjoyed the movement from Italy, to France to England in the middle ages. I thought the characterisation was immense, fell in love with Toby who was like one of the four Musketeers. Our main character, Joanna, was very like a Joanna Harris heroine I thought. The twists and turns did take you by surprise, although some of them you could see coming. Very satisfying book. I intend to read more by Judith Lennox.

[Angela Mary Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delicious

A mighty good read, descriptive and picturesque. Not as predictable as expected. Would recommend to those who enjoy historical fiction.

[Sylvie Chevalley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and well-written story. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanna Zulian is not a woman to be manipulated, controlled or owned by any man. It's the 16th century, and women are considered property by their fathers and later their husbands. Marriages are arranged along with real estate deals in order to achieve wealth and societal status.

Joanna is pulled into a power struggle among men who want something from her. An artist, a doctor, a politician, a conniver and a soldier of fortune all desire her for their personal agendas. She must find her own path in life while staying true to her heart.

Surrounded by war, poverty, and intrigue, she runs a gauntlet of happiness and despair in her search for her one true love...

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in France and Italy during the Renaissance, this book has a rather large cast and covers a lot of ground in terms of geography, time, and changes in the characters' lives. Yet it feels intimate rather than epic. The story centers around beautiful, intelligent, and artistically talented Joanna Zulian and Toby Crow, a mercenary struggling to come to terms with his troubling origins. The Italian Garden is not a romance (although that element is present); it is about two people striving to create unconfined lives for themselves. Lennox-Smith does a very good job with the historical details and the often complex relationships among her characters.

[Tori]

2008-An interesting, but sometimes frustrating account of a woman's life in 16th century Europe. The main character's story is dictated by the relationships she has with the men in her life. I liked the author's descriptive writing style, but overall, I thought this book would have been better from Joanna's viewpoint.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely excellent historical novel set in the early 16th century. The main characters are all marvelously well constructed. Just a great story as even thought the book is almost 500 pages long, I was never bored...quite the contrary, I was sad when it ended.

[anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely read - historical fiction

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

15th century France and England. Two men are obsessed with a French estate they each wish to own. Lives are destroyed in the process. Excellent historical romance novel!

[Hansje · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining, but not one of the best of Lennox I think

[MRS A HARDY · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book

5 stars definitely a great read .Will certainly read more from this author.
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