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The Witch of Napoli
Italy 1899: Fiery-tempered, seductive medium Alessandra Poverelli levitates a table at a Spiritualist séance in Naples. A reporter photographs the miracle, and wealthy, skeptical, Jewish psychiatrist Camillo Lombardi arrives in Naples to investigate. When she materializes the ghost of his dead mother, he risks his reputation and fortune to finance a tour of the Continent, challenging the scientific and academic elite of Europe to test Alessandra’s mysterious powers. She will help him rewrite Science. His fee will help her escape her sadistic husband Pigotti and start a new life in Rome. Newspapers across Europe trumpet her Cinderella story and baffling successes, and the public demands to know – does the “Queen of Spirits” really have supernatural powers? Nigel Huxley is convinced she’s simply another vulgar, Italian trickster. The icy, aristocratic detective for England’s Society for the Investigation of Mediums launches a plot to trap and expose her. The Vatican is quietly digging up her childhood secrets, desperate to discredit her supernatural powers; her abusive husband Pigotti is coming to kill her; and the tarot cards predict catastrophe. Praised by Kirkus Reviews as an “enchanting and graceful narrative that absorbs readers from the first page,” The Witch of Napoli masterfully resurrects the bitter, 19th century battle between Science and religion over the possibility of an afterlife.
342 pages, Paperback
First published January 2, 2015
681 people are currently reading
9595 people want to read
About the author
Michael Schmicker
14 books215 followersMichael Schmicker is an investigative journalist, Amazon Top 100 best-selling author, and science writer focused on consciousness research.
Michael began his writing career as a crime reporter for a suburban Dow-Jones newspaper in Connecticut, and worked as a freelance reporter in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, and Op-Ed writer for the Wall Street Journal Asia,
A nationally known writer on frontier science, Michael is the co-author of "The Gift, ESP: The Extraordinary Experiences of Ordinary People" (St. Martin's Press (USA)/Penguin Random House (UK). His first book, "Best Evidence," has emerged as a classic in the field of scientific anomalies reporting since its first publication in 2000. BBC radio/documentary producer Keith Parsons named it one of the 10 most influential books dealing with the survival of consciousness question. Michael is a member of The Society for Scientific Exploration, where he has reviewed books for the Journal of Scientific Exploration, and contributed to EdgeScience magazine.
His latest book is "What Comes Next? An Investigative Reporter Uncovers Quantum Physics' Hidden Afterlife Hypothesis," (May 2024). Over nine million Americans have reported a near death experience (NDE). They’re virtually unanimous in their conclusion that the afterlife is real. Quantum physics suggests they may be right. As I show in this book, we’ve got strong scientific evidence from near-death-experiences research that our consciousness, our spirit, our soul – whatever we choose to call that which ultimately makes us be us – survives death. Quantum physics offers a modern, logical, scientific explanation for why that afterlife is possible. Our consciousness is not made of matter. The death and dissolution of the physical brain doesn’t affect our non-material consciousness.
Michael is also author of "The Witch of Napoli,” historical fiction with a paranormal twist, set in Italy and England in 1899. On March 6, 2015, it made the Amazon Top 100, ranking #41 in paid books out of 3.3 million books available in the Kindle Bookstore. That same day, it hit #1 in both the Historical Fantasy and Victorian Historical Romance categories in three countries simultaneously - the U.S., Canada and England. It spent 68 consecutive weeks as a Top 20 Best Seller in the "Italian Historical Fiction" category, with an Audible audiobook debuting on Amazon in July 2016. Amazon subsequently selected "The Witch of Napoli" as one of 25 Historical Romance Bestsellers to be featured by Amazon's new "Prime Reading" program.
Michael’s interest in investigating the paranormal began as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand where he first encountered a non-Western culture and people who readily accept the reality of ghosts and spirits, reincarnation, mediumship, divination and other persistently reported phenomena unexplainable by current Science. He spent his first year in Bangkok teaching English to middle school students at the royal Buddhist monastery of Wat Bowonniwet, and the subsequent two years writing and producing with Thai colleagues a Sesame Street-inspired educational television series for the Thai Ministry of Education.
Before joining Peace Corps, he studied documentary film production at New York University and the British Film Institute. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy; and earned his Master's in Educational Communications (Television) from the University of Hawaii.
He lives and writes in Honolulu, Hawaii, on a mountaintop overlooking Waikiki and Diamond Head crater.
Michael began his writing career as a crime reporter for a suburban Dow-Jones newspaper in Connecticut, and worked as a freelance reporter in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, and Op-Ed writer for the Wall Street Journal Asia,
A nationally known writer on frontier science, Michael is the co-author of "The Gift, ESP: The Extraordinary Experiences of Ordinary People" (St. Martin's Press (USA)/Penguin Random House (UK). His first book, "Best Evidence," has emerged as a classic in the field of scientific anomalies reporting since its first publication in 2000. BBC radio/documentary producer Keith Parsons named it one of the 10 most influential books dealing with the survival of consciousness question. Michael is a member of The Society for Scientific Exploration, where he has reviewed books for the Journal of Scientific Exploration, and contributed to EdgeScience magazine.
His latest book is "What Comes Next? An Investigative Reporter Uncovers Quantum Physics' Hidden Afterlife Hypothesis," (May 2024). Over nine million Americans have reported a near death experience (NDE). They’re virtually unanimous in their conclusion that the afterlife is real. Quantum physics suggests they may be right. As I show in this book, we’ve got strong scientific evidence from near-death-experiences research that our consciousness, our spirit, our soul – whatever we choose to call that which ultimately makes us be us – survives death. Quantum physics offers a modern, logical, scientific explanation for why that afterlife is possible. Our consciousness is not made of matter. The death and dissolution of the physical brain doesn’t affect our non-material consciousness.
Michael is also author of "The Witch of Napoli,” historical fiction with a paranormal twist, set in Italy and England in 1899. On March 6, 2015, it made the Amazon Top 100, ranking #41 in paid books out of 3.3 million books available in the Kindle Bookstore. That same day, it hit #1 in both the Historical Fantasy and Victorian Historical Romance categories in three countries simultaneously - the U.S., Canada and England. It spent 68 consecutive weeks as a Top 20 Best Seller in the "Italian Historical Fiction" category, with an Audible audiobook debuting on Amazon in July 2016. Amazon subsequently selected "The Witch of Napoli" as one of 25 Historical Romance Bestsellers to be featured by Amazon's new "Prime Reading" program.
Michael’s interest in investigating the paranormal began as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand where he first encountered a non-Western culture and people who readily accept the reality of ghosts and spirits, reincarnation, mediumship, divination and other persistently reported phenomena unexplainable by current Science. He spent his first year in Bangkok teaching English to middle school students at the royal Buddhist monastery of Wat Bowonniwet, and the subsequent two years writing and producing with Thai colleagues a Sesame Street-inspired educational television series for the Thai Ministry of Education.
Before joining Peace Corps, he studied documentary film production at New York University and the British Film Institute. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy; and earned his Master's in Educational Communications (Television) from the University of Hawaii.
He lives and writes in Honolulu, Hawaii, on a mountaintop overlooking Waikiki and Diamond Head crater.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 374 reviews
May 16, 2022
* I was gifted a copy of 'The Witch of Napoli' by the author, and have given an honest review*
Although fictional, this story was inspired by true-life 1890's Italian Medium, Eusapia Palladino. The narration is provided by Tomaso Labella, and documents the life of Allesandra, a Neopolitan medium. Tomaso is sent by his newspaper to photograph one of Allesandra's seances. His photograph not only launches his own career, but brings Allesandra to the attention of scientists. Interest in the occult was very popular at the time, and Allesandra is a very engaging, if fiery character, who performs levitations, communications with the dead, materialisations etc, and as such, there are those eager to put her 'gift' to the test. Is she for real?
She is tested throughout Europe, both by believers (those who are desperate to have prove of the afterlife), and non- believers, (skeptics, who would love to expose her as fraudulent). One skeptic in particular, (Huxley), has a personal vendetta against her, and does his best to destroy her reputation. Tomaso accompanies her on her tour of Europe as official photographer.
This is an absorbing tale, capturing beautifully, the sense of late nineteenth century Europe. It isn't essential to have an interest in the paranormal, as the story is captivating in its own right. The friendship between Tomaso and Allesandra has its ups and downs, but is something that remains constant, and regardless of their relationships with others, they remain close for life.
The author only relates at the end, that his book was inspired by a real-life medium, and provides research material to back this up. It's to Michael Schmicker's credit, that the painstaking research carried out, has resulted in this absorbing book. Many thanks Michael for the chance to read this delightful book.
Although fictional, this story was inspired by true-life 1890's Italian Medium, Eusapia Palladino. The narration is provided by Tomaso Labella, and documents the life of Allesandra, a Neopolitan medium. Tomaso is sent by his newspaper to photograph one of Allesandra's seances. His photograph not only launches his own career, but brings Allesandra to the attention of scientists. Interest in the occult was very popular at the time, and Allesandra is a very engaging, if fiery character, who performs levitations, communications with the dead, materialisations etc, and as such, there are those eager to put her 'gift' to the test. Is she for real?
She is tested throughout Europe, both by believers (those who are desperate to have prove of the afterlife), and non- believers, (skeptics, who would love to expose her as fraudulent). One skeptic in particular, (Huxley), has a personal vendetta against her, and does his best to destroy her reputation. Tomaso accompanies her on her tour of Europe as official photographer.
This is an absorbing tale, capturing beautifully, the sense of late nineteenth century Europe. It isn't essential to have an interest in the paranormal, as the story is captivating in its own right. The friendship between Tomaso and Allesandra has its ups and downs, but is something that remains constant, and regardless of their relationships with others, they remain close for life.
The author only relates at the end, that his book was inspired by a real-life medium, and provides research material to back this up. It's to Michael Schmicker's credit, that the painstaking research carried out, has resulted in this absorbing book. Many thanks Michael for the chance to read this delightful book.
August 3, 2016
I really enjoyed this book, so much so I was disappointed when it ended. Captivating, heart wrenching it snagged my attention from the very first sentence.
I was smitten with the two main protagonists Alessandra Poverelli and Tomaso Labella. Alessandra is a spitfire, born a peasant she is as tough as nails. Tomaso, a young budding photographer is instantly taken by Alessandra, together they deal with numerous trials and tribulations, highs and lows as Alessandra’s career launches.
Alessandra is a compelling character serving as the cog of the narrative. Quick temper, hardness overshadowing her softness. As her story unfolds life hasn’t been kind to this formidable woman, downright cruel. She is flawed, she makes a major mistake paying a heavy price. Her gift is scrutinized, is she a fraud or is her gift authentic? The pressure is on to discover if she levitates tables without props, is she really a medium? You can’t help rooting for Alessandra, and you truly hope she’s for real, her unfiltered mouth leaves you shocked as well as laughing as she freely speaks her mind, her hair trigger temper often unleashed.
The narrative possesses just enough paranormal element to ignite interest adding plausibility as you are thoroughly entertained. Heavy scenarios are tempered by comical insertions. Male oppression rears its ugly head as the era holds women under the microscope facing harsh judgment and criticism, praise and credibility undoubtedly earned at a heavy price. Tomaso is Alessandra’s life ring, her rock and as time passes their forever friendship is cemented. Tomaso is clearly Alessandra’s champion good or bad, a crackerjack or fraud, their bond rock solid. Tomaso pulls at your heart as his devotion and love anchors Alessandra. One exciting read you won’t want to miss, highly recommend.
I was smitten with the two main protagonists Alessandra Poverelli and Tomaso Labella. Alessandra is a spitfire, born a peasant she is as tough as nails. Tomaso, a young budding photographer is instantly taken by Alessandra, together they deal with numerous trials and tribulations, highs and lows as Alessandra’s career launches.
Alessandra is a compelling character serving as the cog of the narrative. Quick temper, hardness overshadowing her softness. As her story unfolds life hasn’t been kind to this formidable woman, downright cruel. She is flawed, she makes a major mistake paying a heavy price. Her gift is scrutinized, is she a fraud or is her gift authentic? The pressure is on to discover if she levitates tables without props, is she really a medium? You can’t help rooting for Alessandra, and you truly hope she’s for real, her unfiltered mouth leaves you shocked as well as laughing as she freely speaks her mind, her hair trigger temper often unleashed.
The narrative possesses just enough paranormal element to ignite interest adding plausibility as you are thoroughly entertained. Heavy scenarios are tempered by comical insertions. Male oppression rears its ugly head as the era holds women under the microscope facing harsh judgment and criticism, praise and credibility undoubtedly earned at a heavy price. Tomaso is Alessandra’s life ring, her rock and as time passes their forever friendship is cemented. Tomaso is clearly Alessandra’s champion good or bad, a crackerjack or fraud, their bond rock solid. Tomaso pulls at your heart as his devotion and love anchors Alessandra. One exciting read you won’t want to miss, highly recommend.
April 14, 2015
Read on the WondrousBooks blog.
To be honest, I don't have much to say about this book. It didn't influence me in some special way, it didn't really touch me much either. The Witch of Napoli is a tolerable, easy book to read. It's not going to take you more than a day, it's not going to burden you and it's going to be interesting enough.
The story is simple: the life of a self-proclaimed spiritualist, who's trying to prove to the pessimists that she's not making the spirits up.
When we say spiritual in this book, there is nothing grand and lavish, Alessandra is capable of letting spirits borrow her body, they move tables, spit, curse, talk, etc.
The entire book is simple and sort of... quiet? The author is not trying too hard and for that he gets my admiration. The writing is pleasurable and efficient. The characters were too distant for me, however. I didn't even try to put myself in their shoes, I was a spectator entirely.
What I didn't like about the book was that 1/3 of it was in Italian. I forever fail to understand why writers find it in any way interesting and fruitful to use a foreign language in their English books. What they are trying to accomplish is a mystery to me, so the two most sensible answers seem to be:
a) trying to add authenticity
b) trying to look educated
Whichever one it is - STOP DOING IT. If you feel the need to translate your own book, you're doing something wrong. And there are also words and exclamations which are not translated and to understand them I had to either thank my limited Italian vocabulary, or use my imagination, like the description of the naughty nurse with the rosary... somewhere. I'd imagine it was dangling between her boobs, but I have no idea where that comes from.
Either way, nobody really cares that you possibly speak Italian, half of the people in the civilized world speak more than one language, and I can't even be sure how good your Italian is, by the way, since I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. A couple years ago I read a book half written in Ukrainian, I think. Only the fact that Bulgarian is also a Slavic language saved that book from being burned. I'm curious, Mr Schmicker, how much you'd enjoy reading a book which is half Tagalog. Not much, I'd imagine.
As a whole, if you want to kill of a Sunday afternoon with a cup of tea, you should give The Witch of Napoli a shot. If you are looking for a serious book filled with action, adventure, history and magic... well, look elsewhere.
To be honest, I don't have much to say about this book. It didn't influence me in some special way, it didn't really touch me much either. The Witch of Napoli is a tolerable, easy book to read. It's not going to take you more than a day, it's not going to burden you and it's going to be interesting enough.
The story is simple: the life of a self-proclaimed spiritualist, who's trying to prove to the pessimists that she's not making the spirits up.
When we say spiritual in this book, there is nothing grand and lavish, Alessandra is capable of letting spirits borrow her body, they move tables, spit, curse, talk, etc.
The entire book is simple and sort of... quiet? The author is not trying too hard and for that he gets my admiration. The writing is pleasurable and efficient. The characters were too distant for me, however. I didn't even try to put myself in their shoes, I was a spectator entirely.
What I didn't like about the book was that 1/3 of it was in Italian. I forever fail to understand why writers find it in any way interesting and fruitful to use a foreign language in their English books. What they are trying to accomplish is a mystery to me, so the two most sensible answers seem to be:
a) trying to add authenticity
b) trying to look educated
Whichever one it is - STOP DOING IT. If you feel the need to translate your own book, you're doing something wrong. And there are also words and exclamations which are not translated and to understand them I had to either thank my limited Italian vocabulary, or use my imagination, like the description of the naughty nurse with the rosary... somewhere. I'd imagine it was dangling between her boobs, but I have no idea where that comes from.
Either way, nobody really cares that you possibly speak Italian, half of the people in the civilized world speak more than one language, and I can't even be sure how good your Italian is, by the way, since I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. A couple years ago I read a book half written in Ukrainian, I think. Only the fact that Bulgarian is also a Slavic language saved that book from being burned. I'm curious, Mr Schmicker, how much you'd enjoy reading a book which is half Tagalog. Not much, I'd imagine.
As a whole, if you want to kill of a Sunday afternoon with a cup of tea, you should give The Witch of Napoli a shot. If you are looking for a serious book filled with action, adventure, history and magic... well, look elsewhere.
February 16, 2015
Whether or not you believe in spiritualism, the paranormal or the supernatural, The Witch of Napoli – a fictional tale based on the real life controversial medium Eusapia Palladino (1854-1918) – is an enthralling read. Bewitched by the engaging characters, dramatic plot and masterful storytelling, this reader was very willing to suspend her disbelief and keep turning the pages.
When Alessandra Poverelli, an illiterate Neapolitan woman with psychic powers, comes to the attention of the press, Tomaso Labella, a young reporter, is dispatched to photograph her séance. Capturing a table levitating on camera summons a veritable posse of scientists, pseudoscientists and investigators of the paranormal keen to prove or disprove her abilities.
When Alessandra appears to raise the spirit of Camillo Lombardi’ mother, the hitherto sceptic and rich psychiatrist takes her on a whistle-stop tour of Europe to convince his colleagues she is ‘the real deal’. Narrated by the engaging Tomaso taken along as reporter, her journey is a rollercoaster of professional successes and failures and personal peaks and troughs.
Her nemesis materialises as Nigel Huxley, a stiff-upper-lipped investigator for England’s Society for the Investigation of Mediums. But this is no Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who had his famous detective Sherlock Holmes say, ‘When you’ve eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.’
Huxley is most unwilling to suspend his disbelief about the source of her powers and determined to unveil her as a fraud.
The various twists in the tale keep the pages turning and the open ending begs various questions. Was Alessandra a woman possessed by a demon, a hysteric, a clairvoyant with ESP or a cheap trickster? As Hamlet famously said, ‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.’
The Witch of Napoli raises one of the themes of the fin de siècle zeitgest – the conflict between rationalism and spiritualism – and touches on the emerging sciences of psychology, psychiatry, telekinesis and psychology.
For those interested in séances and spirits and things that go bump in the night I highly recommend this thoroughly entertaining and absorbing read from the pen of an investigative journalist.
When Alessandra Poverelli, an illiterate Neapolitan woman with psychic powers, comes to the attention of the press, Tomaso Labella, a young reporter, is dispatched to photograph her séance. Capturing a table levitating on camera summons a veritable posse of scientists, pseudoscientists and investigators of the paranormal keen to prove or disprove her abilities.
When Alessandra appears to raise the spirit of Camillo Lombardi’ mother, the hitherto sceptic and rich psychiatrist takes her on a whistle-stop tour of Europe to convince his colleagues she is ‘the real deal’. Narrated by the engaging Tomaso taken along as reporter, her journey is a rollercoaster of professional successes and failures and personal peaks and troughs.
Her nemesis materialises as Nigel Huxley, a stiff-upper-lipped investigator for England’s Society for the Investigation of Mediums. But this is no Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who had his famous detective Sherlock Holmes say, ‘When you’ve eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.’
Huxley is most unwilling to suspend his disbelief about the source of her powers and determined to unveil her as a fraud.
The various twists in the tale keep the pages turning and the open ending begs various questions. Was Alessandra a woman possessed by a demon, a hysteric, a clairvoyant with ESP or a cheap trickster? As Hamlet famously said, ‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.’
The Witch of Napoli raises one of the themes of the fin de siècle zeitgest – the conflict between rationalism and spiritualism – and touches on the emerging sciences of psychology, psychiatry, telekinesis and psychology.
For those interested in séances and spirits and things that go bump in the night I highly recommend this thoroughly entertaining and absorbing read from the pen of an investigative journalist.
January 19, 2015
The author, Michael Schmicker, investigates and writes about various paranormal activities, and he loosely based this novel on the real case of a particular Italian medium and some of the investigations which were conducted on her. This has become common recently, taking mostly obscure figures from the past and building a fictionalized novel around them. I haven’t decided what I think of the trend, but it’s a reality nonetheless.
I wasn’t a fan of the story’s perspective, which used a common conceit (a narrator looking back at his life and telling an excerpt to his adoring audience), but ended up feeling forced and unnatural, especially in the first number of chapters in the book. As the story went on, the narrator seemed to come together, though I’m not sure if the presentation actually improved, or I simply accepted that particular voice [my ability to temporarily suspend disbelief, necessary for all readers and lovers of fiction, is quite strong, so I get used to things in novels rather quickly, even if they are less than ideal].
The writing of the novel - one of the aspects of any book that I look for the most - was pedestrian. Schmicker is not a particularly inspired or inspiring writer, but he does manage to tell a decent story. The characters end up being rather flat, but the movement of the book is interesting, if not altogether engaging. Personally, I did not enjoy the novel, and I would not seek out another book by the same author. On the other hand, the novel also isn’t one I would classify as “terrible.”
The save for this book (not for me, really, but for a wider potential readership) is that it is very easy to read, and ends up being a quite enjoyable storyline, if you aren’t as particular about certain things (as my reviews show I am). I can definitely see someone on the beach, or at the vacation house, or relaxing on the weekend, distractedly reading and enjoying this novel.
But at the end of the day, I would not recommend this read to anyone I know. Sorry.
I wasn’t a fan of the story’s perspective, which used a common conceit (a narrator looking back at his life and telling an excerpt to his adoring audience), but ended up feeling forced and unnatural, especially in the first number of chapters in the book. As the story went on, the narrator seemed to come together, though I’m not sure if the presentation actually improved, or I simply accepted that particular voice [my ability to temporarily suspend disbelief, necessary for all readers and lovers of fiction, is quite strong, so I get used to things in novels rather quickly, even if they are less than ideal].
The writing of the novel - one of the aspects of any book that I look for the most - was pedestrian. Schmicker is not a particularly inspired or inspiring writer, but he does manage to tell a decent story. The characters end up being rather flat, but the movement of the book is interesting, if not altogether engaging. Personally, I did not enjoy the novel, and I would not seek out another book by the same author. On the other hand, the novel also isn’t one I would classify as “terrible.”
The save for this book (not for me, really, but for a wider potential readership) is that it is very easy to read, and ends up being a quite enjoyable storyline, if you aren’t as particular about certain things (as my reviews show I am). I can definitely see someone on the beach, or at the vacation house, or relaxing on the weekend, distractedly reading and enjoying this novel.
But at the end of the day, I would not recommend this read to anyone I know. Sorry.
March 22, 2016
This book was absolutely fascinating! I think the best part about it was that it really kept me guessing through the whole book. Alessandra's mood swings really grated on me, unfortunately, but I loved the rest of the book. And I loved to hate Huxley, he was quite a bastardo indeed. I think that anybody that's interested in turn of the century spiritualism would love this book. It was a pleasure to read and I'm very curious about the author's next book.
February 12, 2015
[Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley.]
There was a lot that bothered me about this book. I didn't enjoy the POV the author chose. Tomaso came across callous, unfeeling, and more like a pulp fiction private eye character than a newspaper photographer/reporter recalling events from 1899. The book is told from his POV, 20 years after the events he recounts, so he's speaking from somewhere around 1919. He was 16 at the start of 1899, so he's only ~36 by the end of the book. He sounds like a mid-40s American private eye lounging in his office waiting for a pretty dame to come to him with her problems. It was grating.
Throughout the book, Tomaso offers up articles from various papers that tell part of the story of what was happening. But in the first few chapters, he introduces them by saying "Here, I'll read it to you." He also periodically addresses the reader throughout the book, which I found irritating. I understand that the perspective of the novel was intended to be a sort of conversation between Tomaso and the reader, but it was not effective.
There was also quite a bit of juxtaposition of crass words like "piss" and "shit," appearing in the same sentence as polite terms such as "water closet." I think one of the sentences went something like, "I needed to take a piss, so I went in search of the water closet." I'm paraphrasing, obviously, but that's how a lot of this book went. I felt it was awkward.
There was also frequent reference in the first half of the book to how Tomaso used to be poor but now he's rich and edits a newspaper. A reference or two would not have been amiss, but seeing it throughout a large portion of the book felt repetitive and overdone.
Some of the pacing was also awkward. For example, Nigel Huxley is mentioned in the last sentence of Chapter 19. Chapter 20 begins with a two-paragraph vague explanation, and then we don't see his name until the end of Chapter 20, nearly 3% later (that was a lot of pages, if you're wondering). Why bring him up at the end of Chapter 19 if you weren't going to actually talk about him for another ~30 (Kindle) pages? I spent the entire chapter confused, wondering what the big deal was. At first I thought he was actually on the train with them, which confused me even more.
Lastly, my frustration with Tomaso as a character was partly founded on the fact that he declared several times he was in love with Alessandra, but then didn't act like it at all. He spent a lot of time berating her, a little time comforting her, but most of his time acting like a selfish brat who only went along on the tour so that he could see the sights. His devotion to her was not nearly as deep as I would have expected considering how adamant he was that he loved and supported her.
For all the reasons above and some I did not feel like discussing, I did not particularly enjoy reading this book, and would not recommend it to my friends, although it appears I am in the minority. I spent a lot of time being bored with the writing and the content, and not enough being engaged. I didn't care for any of the characters, not even Alessandra. I pitied her, mostly. But that was about it.
There was a lot that bothered me about this book. I didn't enjoy the POV the author chose. Tomaso came across callous, unfeeling, and more like a pulp fiction private eye character than a newspaper photographer/reporter recalling events from 1899. The book is told from his POV, 20 years after the events he recounts, so he's speaking from somewhere around 1919. He was 16 at the start of 1899, so he's only ~36 by the end of the book. He sounds like a mid-40s American private eye lounging in his office waiting for a pretty dame to come to him with her problems. It was grating.
Throughout the book, Tomaso offers up articles from various papers that tell part of the story of what was happening. But in the first few chapters, he introduces them by saying "Here, I'll read it to you." He also periodically addresses the reader throughout the book, which I found irritating. I understand that the perspective of the novel was intended to be a sort of conversation between Tomaso and the reader, but it was not effective.
There was also quite a bit of juxtaposition of crass words like "piss" and "shit," appearing in the same sentence as polite terms such as "water closet." I think one of the sentences went something like, "I needed to take a piss, so I went in search of the water closet." I'm paraphrasing, obviously, but that's how a lot of this book went. I felt it was awkward.
There was also frequent reference in the first half of the book to how Tomaso used to be poor but now he's rich and edits a newspaper. A reference or two would not have been amiss, but seeing it throughout a large portion of the book felt repetitive and overdone.
Some of the pacing was also awkward. For example, Nigel Huxley is mentioned in the last sentence of Chapter 19. Chapter 20 begins with a two-paragraph vague explanation, and then we don't see his name until the end of Chapter 20, nearly 3% later (that was a lot of pages, if you're wondering). Why bring him up at the end of Chapter 19 if you weren't going to actually talk about him for another ~30 (Kindle) pages? I spent the entire chapter confused, wondering what the big deal was. At first I thought he was actually on the train with them, which confused me even more.
Lastly, my frustration with Tomaso as a character was partly founded on the fact that he declared several times he was in love with Alessandra, but then didn't act like it at all. He spent a lot of time berating her, a little time comforting her, but most of his time acting like a selfish brat who only went along on the tour so that he could see the sights. His devotion to her was not nearly as deep as I would have expected considering how adamant he was that he loved and supported her.
For all the reasons above and some I did not feel like discussing, I did not particularly enjoy reading this book, and would not recommend it to my friends, although it appears I am in the minority. I spent a lot of time being bored with the writing and the content, and not enough being engaged. I didn't care for any of the characters, not even Alessandra. I pitied her, mostly. But that was about it.
January 9, 2015
Set in Italy in 1899, The Witch of Napoli is inspired by the true-life story of the controversial Italian spiritualist physical medium, Eusapia Palladino (1854-1918). Palladino’s expensive performances involved, amongst other things, levitating herself and tables, materializing; and communicating with, the dead, and producing spirit hands and faces in wet clay. Some believe these things to be the result of trickery, however many parapsychologists regard Palladino as a baffling, impressive and genuine Spiritualist medium.
In this same vein, The Witch of Napoli tells the story of the Neapolitan peasant and medium, Alessandra Poverelli. When the flamboyant and volatile Alessandra levitates a table during a Spiritualist séance in Naples, a reporter––Tomaso Labella––photographs the miracle. This leads the rich, but skeptical Jewish psychiatrist, Camillo Lombardi to Naples to investigate. When Alessandra materialises the ghost of Lombardi’s mother, he funds a Continental tour to challenge the exclusive European academics to test Alessandra’s powers, in the hope that she will help him redefine, and rewrite, science. At the mercy of her violent husband, Pigotti, who wants to kill her, Alessandra sees Lombardi’s payment as a way of escape, and the means to start a new life in Rome.
Naturally, Alessandra hits the newspaper headlines, and the public is curious. Does she truly have these supernatural powers?
Nigel Huxley, the impeccably dressed and extremely confident upper crust detective for England’s Society for the Investigation of Mediums––who also has a reputation as a genius for detecting the mechanics of fraud––hatches a plan to try and expose Alessandra.
To say anything more about the story would be to spoil the ending of The Witch of Napoli, so all I shall reveal is that the investigation, the pressing question of Alessandra’s authenticity, and the lyrical narrative engaged me right from the beginning. The author’s personal experience as an investigative journalist and nationally-known writer on scientific anomalies and the paranormal also adds great authenticity to this story. I would highly recommend The Witch of Napoli to readers with an interest in the supernatural, and the ongoing debate over the existence of life after death.
In this same vein, The Witch of Napoli tells the story of the Neapolitan peasant and medium, Alessandra Poverelli. When the flamboyant and volatile Alessandra levitates a table during a Spiritualist séance in Naples, a reporter––Tomaso Labella––photographs the miracle. This leads the rich, but skeptical Jewish psychiatrist, Camillo Lombardi to Naples to investigate. When Alessandra materialises the ghost of Lombardi’s mother, he funds a Continental tour to challenge the exclusive European academics to test Alessandra’s powers, in the hope that she will help him redefine, and rewrite, science. At the mercy of her violent husband, Pigotti, who wants to kill her, Alessandra sees Lombardi’s payment as a way of escape, and the means to start a new life in Rome.
Naturally, Alessandra hits the newspaper headlines, and the public is curious. Does she truly have these supernatural powers?
Nigel Huxley, the impeccably dressed and extremely confident upper crust detective for England’s Society for the Investigation of Mediums––who also has a reputation as a genius for detecting the mechanics of fraud––hatches a plan to try and expose Alessandra.
To say anything more about the story would be to spoil the ending of The Witch of Napoli, so all I shall reveal is that the investigation, the pressing question of Alessandra’s authenticity, and the lyrical narrative engaged me right from the beginning. The author’s personal experience as an investigative journalist and nationally-known writer on scientific anomalies and the paranormal also adds great authenticity to this story. I would highly recommend The Witch of Napoli to readers with an interest in the supernatural, and the ongoing debate over the existence of life after death.
January 23, 2015
A really well written historical fiction should send the reader into a researching mode, seeing what was act what was fiction. Here, didn't even have to look far, the author has considerately provided an afterword regarding the real life medium his title character was based on. I've long been interested in the fascination or really obsession with paranormal that was always present, but particularly prevalent in Europe at the end of 19th and start of the 20th centuries. Just as tangible sciences were making radical steps into the future and inventions like electricity were changing the world, there was a parallel development of Spiritualism, pursuit of a knowledge of afterlife that lead to an entire subculture of mediums, séances, researchers, debunkers, etc. What was seen was either believed at face value or subjected to thorough investigation. There were reports of ectoplasm, apports and levitations, be it mass hysteria, extreme suggestiveness or just seeing things as they were, all this was observed numerous times by a variety of individuals. The mediums were fascinating individuals, perceived either as genuinely spiritually gifted or genuinely gifted charlatans. One of the most significant mediums of the time was an Italian woman by the name of Eusapia Palladino (who was a terrific character in real lie and well worth reading up on), this book is a highly fictionalized account of her life. As far as subjects go, the author not only picked a great one, but he is also extremely qualified in writing about it by the virtue of being an experienced journalist and writer on paranormal subjects. As far as writing goes, the book was accessible and interesting, took me a short while to get into and then it completely engaged me. His lively characters and vivid descriptions of a bygone era were absolutely excellent. This book may or may not make a believer out of its readers, but it'll certainly entertain and possibly bewitch. Really enjoyable read. Highly recommended.
February 24, 2015
Rome, 1918: The Great War appears unlikely ever to end, and the world grows weary. But Tommaso Labella, editor of the Roman newspaper Il Messagero, faces a more personal sorrow. He has just received the news that his friend Alessandra Poverelli has died of the tuberculosis that has plagued her for the last twenty years. Not an unexpected death but a sad one.
The news propels Tommaso back into memories of his first meeting with Alessandra, then a noted medium in Naples, and the months that followed as they traveled around Europe to one scientific event after another, each designed to test Alessandra's abilities. For this is the late 19th century, when even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—creator of that unparalleled logician Sherlock Holmes— is drawn to the idea of Spiritualism, in an uncanny precursor to our own technologically sophisticated yet at times determinedly obscurantist age.
For every fan, Alessandra encounters a skeptic eager to prove her no more than a skilled magician. She insists that she really does levitate tables and call on the spirit of Fra Savonarola, and Tommaso has the pictures to prove it. But who will take the word of an illiterate Neapolitan peasant and her 16-year-old photographer over the professors and scientists of London's Royal Society? Especially when she is hiding a disreputable past and doing her best to elude her criminal husband? Even the Vatican becomes concerned as Alessandra's fame continues to grow.
Michael Schmicker, a journalist himself, tells his story with the verve of a correspondent tracking an elusive but fascinating subject. As a reader, you'll swear the events are taking place before your eyes—appropriate, since this is a fiction based on the life of an actual "witch of Napoli," whose identity the author reveals at the end. The book builds to a rich, satisfying, believable finish that leaves just the right number of questions unanswered. It's all great fun. Highly recommended.
The news propels Tommaso back into memories of his first meeting with Alessandra, then a noted medium in Naples, and the months that followed as they traveled around Europe to one scientific event after another, each designed to test Alessandra's abilities. For this is the late 19th century, when even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—creator of that unparalleled logician Sherlock Holmes— is drawn to the idea of Spiritualism, in an uncanny precursor to our own technologically sophisticated yet at times determinedly obscurantist age.
For every fan, Alessandra encounters a skeptic eager to prove her no more than a skilled magician. She insists that she really does levitate tables and call on the spirit of Fra Savonarola, and Tommaso has the pictures to prove it. But who will take the word of an illiterate Neapolitan peasant and her 16-year-old photographer over the professors and scientists of London's Royal Society? Especially when she is hiding a disreputable past and doing her best to elude her criminal husband? Even the Vatican becomes concerned as Alessandra's fame continues to grow.
Michael Schmicker, a journalist himself, tells his story with the verve of a correspondent tracking an elusive but fascinating subject. As a reader, you'll swear the events are taking place before your eyes—appropriate, since this is a fiction based on the life of an actual "witch of Napoli," whose identity the author reveals at the end. The book builds to a rich, satisfying, believable finish that leaves just the right number of questions unanswered. It's all great fun. Highly recommended.
April 27, 2017
Solid 3.5 star (rounded up cuz that's how I roll) historical chronicling of a young Italian reporter and his special spiritual-medium friend crisscrossing Europe to be studied by scientists to discover if spirits are truth or fiction. (That's a helluva sentence right there.)
March 12, 2015
All of the characters present stood out three-dimensionally; however, it’s the two leads, Alessandra and Tommaso, which shined the brightest. Alessandra is an indomitable figure filled with grit and strength. The horrors and pain of her past would have toppled anyone of a lesser stature or with less of a will. Yet, she finds the guts to re-direct her life in a way that is amazing to read. On the other hand, she also displayed an incredible vulnerability in her dealings with men and highly volatile situations where people doubted her ability. The doubts and fear all balanced out her strength to create a well-rounded individual.
I loved reading Tommaso! That phrase pretty much sums it up. He had such a thirst for adventure and ambition to better his life that when he achieved his goals, the reader felt his triumph as much as he. He’s a courageous young man who’s immensely loyal to those he loves, But, there are also moments where his youth really shines through. He’s definitely a randy guy, more than once fantasizing about Alessandra or trying to get into the britches of the young ladies of England. He also, at times, would drift away and focus on his own goals when his friends needed him the most. But all of this made for a fascinating character to tell the story through.
The descriptions in the novel were jaw-dropping. A great example of this was the séances and study session themselves. The different phenomena, like the glowing ectoplasm hand and Lombardi’s mother’s spirit, were vividly portrayed in such a way that I could see them in my mind’s eye, no problem. I was in the dark rooms with the scientists, kept spellbound as Alessandra did her schtick. The boulevards of late 19th century Italy were also lovingly portrayed for the reader to enjoy and gasp over in their impressive details. Schmiker has a real gift for portraying his settings for the reader.
Now the drama…. Dang, but the story portrayed in this novel was amazing. Based on the life of a real individual, it’s a story that needs to be made into a movie and could be adapted with no need to spice it up or add stuff for dramatic flair. Alessandra’s struggles to overcome adversity and make a life for herself after all the tragedy is spell-binding. And then there’s all the incredible details and information on the study of spirituality in late Victorian Europe… It was amazing to see the different viewpoints, how the scientific method was exercised in regards to spirituality study, and how all of that affected our characters and their lives.
Michael Schmiker has found an incredible story in history and relayed it for us with deft skill. He conveyed a suspenseful story filled with dramatic turns, wonderful characters, and enough historical details to make any lover of history drool. His style of writing is smooth, sucking you in from paragraph one. I enjoyed this exploration of late Victorian Europe and the craze that was spirituality. Highly recommended for any lover of historical fiction and very deserving of that five star rating!
Note: Book received for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I loved reading Tommaso! That phrase pretty much sums it up. He had such a thirst for adventure and ambition to better his life that when he achieved his goals, the reader felt his triumph as much as he. He’s a courageous young man who’s immensely loyal to those he loves, But, there are also moments where his youth really shines through. He’s definitely a randy guy, more than once fantasizing about Alessandra or trying to get into the britches of the young ladies of England. He also, at times, would drift away and focus on his own goals when his friends needed him the most. But all of this made for a fascinating character to tell the story through.
The descriptions in the novel were jaw-dropping. A great example of this was the séances and study session themselves. The different phenomena, like the glowing ectoplasm hand and Lombardi’s mother’s spirit, were vividly portrayed in such a way that I could see them in my mind’s eye, no problem. I was in the dark rooms with the scientists, kept spellbound as Alessandra did her schtick. The boulevards of late 19th century Italy were also lovingly portrayed for the reader to enjoy and gasp over in their impressive details. Schmiker has a real gift for portraying his settings for the reader.
Now the drama…. Dang, but the story portrayed in this novel was amazing. Based on the life of a real individual, it’s a story that needs to be made into a movie and could be adapted with no need to spice it up or add stuff for dramatic flair. Alessandra’s struggles to overcome adversity and make a life for herself after all the tragedy is spell-binding. And then there’s all the incredible details and information on the study of spirituality in late Victorian Europe… It was amazing to see the different viewpoints, how the scientific method was exercised in regards to spirituality study, and how all of that affected our characters and their lives.
Michael Schmiker has found an incredible story in history and relayed it for us with deft skill. He conveyed a suspenseful story filled with dramatic turns, wonderful characters, and enough historical details to make any lover of history drool. His style of writing is smooth, sucking you in from paragraph one. I enjoyed this exploration of late Victorian Europe and the craze that was spirituality. Highly recommended for any lover of historical fiction and very deserving of that five star rating!
Note: Book received for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
January 23, 2015
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was at first a bit hesitant when I realized the book's journey was being told by a 17 year old Italian boy, Tomaso. I have a hard time relating to "youngsters" :) Once I got past that I enjoyed the tale of the medium Allessandra Poverelli. I've always been interested in psychic phenomena and have read many books on the subject. This story is inspired by a true life medium. She is tested by believers and disbelievers alike, those who hope for contact with their departed loved ones, and those who wish to expose her as a fraud. This was an easy read, an interesting story, told simply. I did wish the characters had been a bit more developed, the story gone a bit deeper. However, it was entertaining enough to keep me on the stationary bike every day at lunch :)
January 15, 2015
Captivating from start to finish, The Witch of Napoli is an unforgettable historical tale based on real life controversial Italian medium, Eusapia Palladino (1854 – 1918).
If you enjoy the paranormal and the attempts to apply psychoanalytic theory to supernatural phenomena, I cannot recommend this book strongly enough. If it were a film, it would be a formidable blend of The Exorcist, Woody Allen’s Magic in the Moonlight and David Cronenberg’s thought provoking, A Dangerous Method. Here though, the subject of psychological experiment is not the post-traumatic Sabina Spielrein but rather a fiery, Neapolitan woman with a mysterious past and some uncanny supernatural abilities.
Her name is Alessandra Poverelli, a superstitious, forty year old peasant raised in the coastal village of Bari who since demonstrating several medium feats in Naples, has attracted the eye of Dr. Ercole Rossi – a professor of philosophy at the University of Naples and head of Spiritualist Society of Naples. When this one organises photographs with a local newspaper, Alessandra becomes the infatuation of sixteen year old photographer and narrator, Tomaso Labella.
Over the years, Tomaso finds success as a journalist, meanwhile chronicling Alessandra’s rise to fame and her dramatic life. Tomaso is an observant and warm narrator who delights with his insights into the characters and the Italian culture. It is through his eyes that the reader is kept enthralled and always entertained.
The main story focuses on the mystery of Alessandra, a mystery that remains poignant right to the end, and haunts both characters and reader. Is she a hoax? Are her psychic manifestations at all a sign of paranormal activity, or are they symptoms of something else? This question becomes an obsession for all, save for Alessandra who doesn’t try to understand her psychic powers and Tomaso, who, having placed Alessandra on a romantic pedestal, seems ever ready to believe in her occult powers.
Championed by her academic believers, Alessandra is swept first into an asylum for parapsychological assessment, and then onto a fantastic European tour where she encounters illustrious names in science and philosophy. One by one, these academics will either challenge her powers or seek to observe her in carefully controlled experiments. It is through these detailed séance passages and the intriguing scientific observations applied to Alessandra that Michael Schmicker shines as researcher and as a highly credible author for this subject.
Over several suspenseful séances, Alessandra’s feats astounds disbelievers and paranormal adepts alike, each time delivering more surprises and increasing the reader’s curiosity. Michael Schmicker keeps his reader guessing, drawing out the mystery of Alessandra which culminates into a powerful and haunting climax where the astounding truth is revealed.
One would think there is a dominating cerebral aspect of this novel but that would be untrue. There is much heart in it. Alessandra for one, is fascinating and touching in her self-sufficiency and humility. She is an unrelenting worker, a battered woman, a survivor, and by the end of the novel, one truly has a feel for all that she has been through and the unshakable nature of her spirit.
There was much to enjoy in The Witch of Napoli but one of my favorite passages, was staged in England, where Alessandra is confronted with her disbelieving nemesis, Professor Nigel Huxley. Huxley is determined to show the world what she really is: a fake. During her visit to England, Alessandra is soon rendered emotionally vulnerable in her English speaking surroundings. Michael Schmicker is a crafty novelist who adeptly draws out a reader’s anxiety for the plight of the main protagonist. In England, Alessandra encounters symbols of rejection at every turn which perhaps as a result of her disagreeable upbringing by an English couple, achieve to disempower her and make her doubt her abilities. To make matters worse, the once devoted Tomaso finds himself newly smitten by an English rose, spending most of his time away from Alessandra. During the time when she most needs him for emotional support, he comes instead to bring her down from her pedestal, seeing the forty year old in a more clouded light. In his fall out of infatuation, Tomaso’s unromantic gaze upon Alessandra both haunts and saddens the reader who is very much aware of Alessandra’s vulnerability at this moment.
The turn of events in England will cast a shadow on Alessandra in the eyes of Tomaso, who begins to lose faith in her. This is evident when he expresses his doubts during her subsequent séances.
Tomaso’s vision of Alessandra Poverelli will never be the same, even when her dark secret is revealed. One of the messages I took away from this story is that infatuation, more than magic, is the grandest illusion.
If you enjoy the paranormal and the attempts to apply psychoanalytic theory to supernatural phenomena, I cannot recommend this book strongly enough. If it were a film, it would be a formidable blend of The Exorcist, Woody Allen’s Magic in the Moonlight and David Cronenberg’s thought provoking, A Dangerous Method. Here though, the subject of psychological experiment is not the post-traumatic Sabina Spielrein but rather a fiery, Neapolitan woman with a mysterious past and some uncanny supernatural abilities.
Her name is Alessandra Poverelli, a superstitious, forty year old peasant raised in the coastal village of Bari who since demonstrating several medium feats in Naples, has attracted the eye of Dr. Ercole Rossi – a professor of philosophy at the University of Naples and head of Spiritualist Society of Naples. When this one organises photographs with a local newspaper, Alessandra becomes the infatuation of sixteen year old photographer and narrator, Tomaso Labella.
Over the years, Tomaso finds success as a journalist, meanwhile chronicling Alessandra’s rise to fame and her dramatic life. Tomaso is an observant and warm narrator who delights with his insights into the characters and the Italian culture. It is through his eyes that the reader is kept enthralled and always entertained.
The main story focuses on the mystery of Alessandra, a mystery that remains poignant right to the end, and haunts both characters and reader. Is she a hoax? Are her psychic manifestations at all a sign of paranormal activity, or are they symptoms of something else? This question becomes an obsession for all, save for Alessandra who doesn’t try to understand her psychic powers and Tomaso, who, having placed Alessandra on a romantic pedestal, seems ever ready to believe in her occult powers.
Championed by her academic believers, Alessandra is swept first into an asylum for parapsychological assessment, and then onto a fantastic European tour where she encounters illustrious names in science and philosophy. One by one, these academics will either challenge her powers or seek to observe her in carefully controlled experiments. It is through these detailed séance passages and the intriguing scientific observations applied to Alessandra that Michael Schmicker shines as researcher and as a highly credible author for this subject.
Over several suspenseful séances, Alessandra’s feats astounds disbelievers and paranormal adepts alike, each time delivering more surprises and increasing the reader’s curiosity. Michael Schmicker keeps his reader guessing, drawing out the mystery of Alessandra which culminates into a powerful and haunting climax where the astounding truth is revealed.
One would think there is a dominating cerebral aspect of this novel but that would be untrue. There is much heart in it. Alessandra for one, is fascinating and touching in her self-sufficiency and humility. She is an unrelenting worker, a battered woman, a survivor, and by the end of the novel, one truly has a feel for all that she has been through and the unshakable nature of her spirit.
There was much to enjoy in The Witch of Napoli but one of my favorite passages, was staged in England, where Alessandra is confronted with her disbelieving nemesis, Professor Nigel Huxley. Huxley is determined to show the world what she really is: a fake. During her visit to England, Alessandra is soon rendered emotionally vulnerable in her English speaking surroundings. Michael Schmicker is a crafty novelist who adeptly draws out a reader’s anxiety for the plight of the main protagonist. In England, Alessandra encounters symbols of rejection at every turn which perhaps as a result of her disagreeable upbringing by an English couple, achieve to disempower her and make her doubt her abilities. To make matters worse, the once devoted Tomaso finds himself newly smitten by an English rose, spending most of his time away from Alessandra. During the time when she most needs him for emotional support, he comes instead to bring her down from her pedestal, seeing the forty year old in a more clouded light. In his fall out of infatuation, Tomaso’s unromantic gaze upon Alessandra both haunts and saddens the reader who is very much aware of Alessandra’s vulnerability at this moment.
The turn of events in England will cast a shadow on Alessandra in the eyes of Tomaso, who begins to lose faith in her. This is evident when he expresses his doubts during her subsequent séances.
Tomaso’s vision of Alessandra Poverelli will never be the same, even when her dark secret is revealed. One of the messages I took away from this story is that infatuation, more than magic, is the grandest illusion.
January 14, 2015
Set in Italy in 1899, The Witch of Napoli is inspired by the true-life story of the controversial Italian spiritualist physical medium, Eusapia Palladino (1854-1918). Palladino’s expensive performances involved, amongst other things, levitating herself and tables, materializing; and communicating with, the dead, and producing spirit hands and faces in wet clay. Some believe these things to be the result of trickery, however many parapsychologists regard Palladino as a baffling, impressive and genuine Spiritualist medium.
In this same vein, The Witch of Napoli tells the story of the Neapolitan peasant and medium, Alessandra Poverelli. When the flamboyant and volatile Alessandra levitates a table during a Spiritualist séance in Naples, a reporter––Tomaso Labella––photographs the miracle. This leads the rich, but skeptical Jewish psychiatrist, Camillo Lombardi to Naples to investigate. When Alessandra materialises the ghost of Lombardi’s mother, he funds a Continental tour to challenge the exclusive European academics to test Alessandra’s powers, in the hope that she will help him redefine, and rewrite, science. At the mercy of her violent husband, Pigotti, who wants to kill her, Alessandra sees Lombardi’s payment as a way of escape, and the means to start a new life in Rome.
Naturally, Alessandra hits the newspaper headlines, and the public is curious. Does she truly have these supernatural powers?
Nigel Huxley, the impeccably dressed and extremely confident upper crust detective for England’s Society for the Investigation of Mediums––who also has a reputation as a genius for detecting the mechanics of fraud––hatches a plan to try and expose Alessandra.
To say anything more about the story would be to spoil the ending of The Witch of Napoli, so all I shall reveal is that the investigation, the pressing question of Alessandra’s authenticity, and the lyrical narrative engaged me right from the beginning. The author’s personal experience as an investigative journalist and nationally-known writer on scientific anomalies and the paranormal also adds great authenticity to this story. I would highly recommend The Witch of Napoli to readers with an interest in the supernatural, and the ongoing debate over the existence of life after death.
In this same vein, The Witch of Napoli tells the story of the Neapolitan peasant and medium, Alessandra Poverelli. When the flamboyant and volatile Alessandra levitates a table during a Spiritualist séance in Naples, a reporter––Tomaso Labella––photographs the miracle. This leads the rich, but skeptical Jewish psychiatrist, Camillo Lombardi to Naples to investigate. When Alessandra materialises the ghost of Lombardi’s mother, he funds a Continental tour to challenge the exclusive European academics to test Alessandra’s powers, in the hope that she will help him redefine, and rewrite, science. At the mercy of her violent husband, Pigotti, who wants to kill her, Alessandra sees Lombardi’s payment as a way of escape, and the means to start a new life in Rome.
Naturally, Alessandra hits the newspaper headlines, and the public is curious. Does she truly have these supernatural powers?
Nigel Huxley, the impeccably dressed and extremely confident upper crust detective for England’s Society for the Investigation of Mediums––who also has a reputation as a genius for detecting the mechanics of fraud––hatches a plan to try and expose Alessandra.
To say anything more about the story would be to spoil the ending of The Witch of Napoli, so all I shall reveal is that the investigation, the pressing question of Alessandra’s authenticity, and the lyrical narrative engaged me right from the beginning. The author’s personal experience as an investigative journalist and nationally-known writer on scientific anomalies and the paranormal also adds great authenticity to this story. I would highly recommend The Witch of Napoli to readers with an interest in the supernatural, and the ongoing debate over the existence of life after death.
March 12, 2015
3.5* Entertaining
I enjoyed this book as it flowed along easily and captured the reader from the beginning. The story follows Alessandra, a gifted medium in the nineteenth century, who is subjected to countless tests throughout Europe and Britain by those who dispute her abilities. Inspired by the true-life story of controversial Italian medium Eusapia Palladino (1854-1918), Alessandra struggles throughout her life to prove she has the power to levitate tables, and talk to spirits while striving to make a better life. As you read of her difficulties you can’t help but root for Alessandra to succeed while she continually lashes out to all non believers and even her admirers with her fiery temper and tantrums. An entertaining and fascinating read.
I enjoyed this book as it flowed along easily and captured the reader from the beginning. The story follows Alessandra, a gifted medium in the nineteenth century, who is subjected to countless tests throughout Europe and Britain by those who dispute her abilities. Inspired by the true-life story of controversial Italian medium Eusapia Palladino (1854-1918), Alessandra struggles throughout her life to prove she has the power to levitate tables, and talk to spirits while striving to make a better life. As you read of her difficulties you can’t help but root for Alessandra to succeed while she continually lashes out to all non believers and even her admirers with her fiery temper and tantrums. An entertaining and fascinating read.
July 26, 2015
Updated review 7-25-2015
*Won this book courtesy of a Goodreads giveaway sponsored by Michael Schmicker. So glad I won a copy because it was FAN-TABULOUS!* I also received a digital review copy from NetGalley. I'm happy to provide my review to each and all.
Oh my! Loved loved this highly entertaining, fictional account of an Italian "Queen of Spirits" and her entourage of friends, photographers, mentors, lovers, and enemies. THE WITCH OF NAPOLI turns out to be one of my favorite reads of 2015. Yes! It was THAT GOOD! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Never a dull moment when in the company of Alessandra Poverelli, whether she's levitating tables or channeling the green eyed monster known as Savaonarola. Her young friend, Tommaso LaBella, the photographer hired to document events, is the narrator of the story and a fine character to boot. Alessandra and Tommaso compliment each other perfectly. I found their relationship endearing, often humorous. While Alessandra IS the story's subject, Tommaso often stole the show. He has a mad crush on the much older spirit medium, as do most that encounter the fiery Alessandra, and he is always at her beckon call. Tommaso also spends a great deal of his time trying to keep Alessandra out of trouble and trouble always seems to find them both in the forms of Pigotti, her abusive mobster husband, the Vatican, and an English investigator named Nigel Huxley. The possessive Pigotti wants to kill them both. The Vatican wants Alessandra to cease and desist all seance activities. If she does not, the Vatican will reveal secrets that could destroy Alessandra. Huxley, the snooty detective, is hell bent on exposing the medium as a fraudulent trickster. All this while traveling around Europe with Professor Lombardi, Alessandra's mentor and greatest champion! So good!!
Michael Schmicker is an investigative journalist and well known writer on scientific anomalies and the paranormal. While THE WITCH OF NAPOLI is fictional, the story was inspired by the real life story of Italian medium Eusapia Palladino (1854-1918).
*Won this book courtesy of a Goodreads giveaway sponsored by Michael Schmicker. So glad I won a copy because it was FAN-TABULOUS!* I also received a digital review copy from NetGalley. I'm happy to provide my review to each and all.
Oh my! Loved loved this highly entertaining, fictional account of an Italian "Queen of Spirits" and her entourage of friends, photographers, mentors, lovers, and enemies. THE WITCH OF NAPOLI turns out to be one of my favorite reads of 2015. Yes! It was THAT GOOD! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Never a dull moment when in the company of Alessandra Poverelli, whether she's levitating tables or channeling the green eyed monster known as Savaonarola. Her young friend, Tommaso LaBella, the photographer hired to document events, is the narrator of the story and a fine character to boot. Alessandra and Tommaso compliment each other perfectly. I found their relationship endearing, often humorous. While Alessandra IS the story's subject, Tommaso often stole the show. He has a mad crush on the much older spirit medium, as do most that encounter the fiery Alessandra, and he is always at her beckon call. Tommaso also spends a great deal of his time trying to keep Alessandra out of trouble and trouble always seems to find them both in the forms of Pigotti, her abusive mobster husband, the Vatican, and an English investigator named Nigel Huxley. The possessive Pigotti wants to kill them both. The Vatican wants Alessandra to cease and desist all seance activities. If she does not, the Vatican will reveal secrets that could destroy Alessandra. Huxley, the snooty detective, is hell bent on exposing the medium as a fraudulent trickster. All this while traveling around Europe with Professor Lombardi, Alessandra's mentor and greatest champion! So good!!
Michael Schmicker is an investigative journalist and well known writer on scientific anomalies and the paranormal. While THE WITCH OF NAPOLI is fictional, the story was inspired by the real life story of Italian medium Eusapia Palladino (1854-1918).
January 4, 2015
Based on the life of a controversial Italian medium, The Witch of Napoli is the story of Alessandra Poverelli, a gutsy woman, born and raised in the most deprived of circumstances, who is not only a survivor, but manages to hold her own in a hostile, masculine world.
With the craze for spiritualism sweeping through Europe, young Tomaso Labella is sent by his newspaper to photograph one of Alessandra’s séances. Not only does Tomaso’s photo of Alessandra make her famous, it launches his career as a successful newspaperman. It also brings her to the attention of science. When Alessandra finds herself touring Europe so that her psychic powers can be put to the test by the continent’s leading scientists, Tomaso is seconded to accompany her and make a photographic record. Thus begins a lifelong friendship which gives Tomaso a unique perspective on this troubled but remarkable woman, and the extremes to which the male scientific establishment will go to discredit her supernatural claims.
Michael Schmicker’s novel is a fine evocation of belle epoque Europe and an extraordinary rendition of the Italian spirit. But more than a portrait of one woman, this story encapsulates the beginnings of our modern world. Here we see the clash between science and faith, between female spirituality and male rationality, our romance with new technology, and the emergence of the tabloid press.
The Witch of Napoli is an exciting and thought provoking novel which I can highly recommend.
With the craze for spiritualism sweeping through Europe, young Tomaso Labella is sent by his newspaper to photograph one of Alessandra’s séances. Not only does Tomaso’s photo of Alessandra make her famous, it launches his career as a successful newspaperman. It also brings her to the attention of science. When Alessandra finds herself touring Europe so that her psychic powers can be put to the test by the continent’s leading scientists, Tomaso is seconded to accompany her and make a photographic record. Thus begins a lifelong friendship which gives Tomaso a unique perspective on this troubled but remarkable woman, and the extremes to which the male scientific establishment will go to discredit her supernatural claims.
Michael Schmicker’s novel is a fine evocation of belle epoque Europe and an extraordinary rendition of the Italian spirit. But more than a portrait of one woman, this story encapsulates the beginnings of our modern world. Here we see the clash between science and faith, between female spirituality and male rationality, our romance with new technology, and the emergence of the tabloid press.
The Witch of Napoli is an exciting and thought provoking novel which I can highly recommend.
February 25, 2015
When Tommaso Labella is given the opportunity to photograph the famous Neopolitan medium, Alessandra Poverelli, he never dreamed his photograph would stir such interest. That is because he snapped it while the table was levitating. Tommaso becomes intrigued and falls for the lovely woman who can raise the dead and who games fame with every passing day.
The photograph and news of Alessandra's talent soon catches the attention of Camillo Lombardi, a scientist/psychiatrist who studies mediums. He makes Alessandra a rich offer to travel outside of Italy and undergo intensive testing. So Tommaso and Alessandra agree. News of this new medium reaches the ears of Nigel Huxley of England's Society for the Investigation of Mediums and he is bent on proving her false. This sets off an intriguing chain of events.
The Witch of Napoli is based on the famous Italian medium, Eusapia Palladino. It is a rag to riches story about one woman with a rare talent who struggles to gain credibility in an ever doubtful field filled with numerous fraudsters and charlatans. I thoroughly enjoyed Alessandra who is strong and determined, unafraid to stand up for herself, yet still vulnerable to the tricks of men.
This was nicely written in an effortless prose that made it easy to follow the story and allow the reader to immerse themselves completely. Michael Schmicker is a talented author and I look forward to reading more of his work.
The photograph and news of Alessandra's talent soon catches the attention of Camillo Lombardi, a scientist/psychiatrist who studies mediums. He makes Alessandra a rich offer to travel outside of Italy and undergo intensive testing. So Tommaso and Alessandra agree. News of this new medium reaches the ears of Nigel Huxley of England's Society for the Investigation of Mediums and he is bent on proving her false. This sets off an intriguing chain of events.
The Witch of Napoli is based on the famous Italian medium, Eusapia Palladino. It is a rag to riches story about one woman with a rare talent who struggles to gain credibility in an ever doubtful field filled with numerous fraudsters and charlatans. I thoroughly enjoyed Alessandra who is strong and determined, unafraid to stand up for herself, yet still vulnerable to the tricks of men.
This was nicely written in an effortless prose that made it easy to follow the story and allow the reader to immerse themselves completely. Michael Schmicker is a talented author and I look forward to reading more of his work.
February 6, 2017
I don't think the synopsis does this book much justice as it seems to simply the story far more than it should. It's not just about Alessandra having to prove herself as a psychic/medium/spiritualist. It is also about her having to battle the prejudice she has been subject to since childhood, both as an 'outsider' and as a woman, and how she manages to remain immensely positive and optimistic despite what the world throws at her. Told through the eyes of Tomasso, a young man unfamiliar with the world and how harsh it can really be, despite being an ever resilient Napolitan, we see Alessandra at her best and her worst and she takes on the men of science who are intent on disproving her talents and beliefs. Regardless of whether you belief in such things or not, this is a book that will make you think about it from all sides and possibly realise that those who make the public declarations about what is true or not may not be right, or even honest. Each character has been written to be both loved and hated, there are no real good and bad sides as each have the traits of real people, sometimes they are good, sometimes bad, sometimes stupid beyond belief. I'm not sure about the little drops of Italian, but it did add to the feel of the book and of their pride in their roots, which I can certainly relate to. Overall I am rather taken with this.
December 8, 2014
This has to be one of the most engaging stories I have read in the past five years, and I have 863 books archived on my Kindle and nearly 200 on my Nook reader. While I am not a huge fan of paranormal novels I am always looking for one with the right characters and setting to pull me in. When they are well researched historical pieces, I am most susceptible to being hooked. This one is exceptional. There is a mystique present at the "Turn of the Century'which provides a perfect backdrop as we join the protagonist in confronting the possibility that there is something out there which science, and pedantic scientists, cannot explain. Just like the church that in the Middle Ages exploited the handful of simple women who experienced visions of the Virgin, those who witnessed the psychical abilities of the pretty young Italian woman who gives this book its title are not quite sure whether she is a carnival hoax or whether they are nothing but charlatans who seek to either manipulate her or destroy her. In spite of the motives of those around her, Alessandra is a blend of sophistication and simplicity of which heroines are made and the reader desperately wants her to survive if not prevail. Throughout the book I experienced the same conflicts I faced as a child when my teenage friends and I attempted to levitate a card table or when my Grandmother asked her Ouija Board if my Uncle Jack was really killed in action in WWII. The story feels very real and Michael Schmicker does a grand job of telling it. The flow of the plot is excellent and the book is not cluttered with extraneous events and unnecessary characters. I started this review with the intention of giving it four stars and ended up giving it a five. It is probably the best book in this sub-genre I have read.
May 6, 2015
This is an historical which takes place during the Italian Revolution and a time of unparalleled Spiritualism during the late 19th century. The book is inspired by the true life story of the Italian medium Eusapia Palladino.
The book is a story of an unusual friendship: a photographer, Tomaso Labella, and a medium, the Witch of Napoli, Alessandra Poverelli. Tomaso first meets Alessandra when he takes a picture of her next to a levitating table for the paper he works for, and the picture made both of them famous. Tomaso is taken with the charismatic, though older Alessandra. I also was taken with her as the author takes us from her childhood and her first innocent experiences with her spiritual gifts to the older, ambitious Witch of Napoli who holds séances where she hears the voices of the dead and items levitate around her. Soon Tomaso begins to wonder about the credibility of his friend; however, it’s not just Tomaso. It seems that everyone important in Italy wants to know if Alessandra has real powers of if she is just a fraud.
This an easy breezy book to read and enjoy. There is nothing challenging or very engaging. The Witch of Napoli is a fun character to read about but I have forgotten almost everything about her and this book. I’m glad I took notes!
One thing I disliked was the author’s indiscriminate use of Italian words which look nice but add nothing but frustration when the context is not adequate for me to be able to define them.
Recommended for people interested in Spiritualism during the 19th century or for people looking for something lighter than the usual fare to read.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The book is a story of an unusual friendship: a photographer, Tomaso Labella, and a medium, the Witch of Napoli, Alessandra Poverelli. Tomaso first meets Alessandra when he takes a picture of her next to a levitating table for the paper he works for, and the picture made both of them famous. Tomaso is taken with the charismatic, though older Alessandra. I also was taken with her as the author takes us from her childhood and her first innocent experiences with her spiritual gifts to the older, ambitious Witch of Napoli who holds séances where she hears the voices of the dead and items levitate around her. Soon Tomaso begins to wonder about the credibility of his friend; however, it’s not just Tomaso. It seems that everyone important in Italy wants to know if Alessandra has real powers of if she is just a fraud.
This an easy breezy book to read and enjoy. There is nothing challenging or very engaging. The Witch of Napoli is a fun character to read about but I have forgotten almost everything about her and this book. I’m glad I took notes!
One thing I disliked was the author’s indiscriminate use of Italian words which look nice but add nothing but frustration when the context is not adequate for me to be able to define them.
Recommended for people interested in Spiritualism during the 19th century or for people looking for something lighter than the usual fare to read.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 14, 2015
Interesting book about a medium during the late Victorian age and the efforts of scientists and the church to expose her as a fraud. This book is based on a real person, Eusapia Palladino, and it spiked my interest enough that I’ll be turning to Google to find out more about her.
The narrator of the story is Tommaso, a young photographer/reporter who took a famous photo of the medium, Alessandra Poverelli, levitating a table. He’s a likeable enough character and is the source of quite a bit of humor in the book though I wish that Alessandra would have told her own story. Tommaso, even though he himself becomes very involved in the events, tells it almost as a newspaper story. . I wasn’t able to feel much connection with the characters. The book is quite well researched and detailed. The author used accounts from the actual séances performed by Eusapia Palladino and the testing done in an attempt to prove her to be a fraud and that’s the most interesting part of the book. I think this book would have been better if written as a biography instead of a novel. The author may be more comfortable writing non-fiction. Possibly there wasn’t enough background on the real medium’s life so the author felt the need to fill in the blanks left by history
But the séances themselves, especially when the evil spirit Alessandra was sometimes able to channel would appear, and the lengths that the scientists went to disprove her were very interesting and well worth reading.
This book was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley.
The narrator of the story is Tommaso, a young photographer/reporter who took a famous photo of the medium, Alessandra Poverelli, levitating a table. He’s a likeable enough character and is the source of quite a bit of humor in the book though I wish that Alessandra would have told her own story. Tommaso, even though he himself becomes very involved in the events, tells it almost as a newspaper story. . I wasn’t able to feel much connection with the characters. The book is quite well researched and detailed. The author used accounts from the actual séances performed by Eusapia Palladino and the testing done in an attempt to prove her to be a fraud and that’s the most interesting part of the book. I think this book would have been better if written as a biography instead of a novel. The author may be more comfortable writing non-fiction. Possibly there wasn’t enough background on the real medium’s life so the author felt the need to fill in the blanks left by history
But the séances themselves, especially when the evil spirit Alessandra was sometimes able to channel would appear, and the lengths that the scientists went to disprove her were very interesting and well worth reading.
This book was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley.
January 30, 2025
Based on the famous Italian medium Eusapia Palladino, our fictional story, narrated by a photojournalist, Tommaso, begins in 1918 in Naples. He narrates his recollection of how he met the novel's psychic medium, Alessandra Poverelli, who had supernatural gifts.
Tommaso recounts how in love he was with Alessandra and how her husband, Pigotti, was a member of the Italian mafia. Pigotti was a jealous and abusive man.
Alessandra is hired on to do a series of scientific studies and has to prove she is legit to skeptics. Tommaso accompanies her. They are then whisked away to tour the continent.
There are many spooky aspects of the story during the seances, especially that of Alessandra being possessed by the angry spirit of Girolamo Savonarola, a Dominican friar from the late 1400s who had supposed prophetic abilities.
The story was told intelligently, and I learned many Italian words and phrases. I was engaged in the storytelling throughout.
Tommaso recounts how in love he was with Alessandra and how her husband, Pigotti, was a member of the Italian mafia. Pigotti was a jealous and abusive man.
Alessandra is hired on to do a series of scientific studies and has to prove she is legit to skeptics. Tommaso accompanies her. They are then whisked away to tour the continent.
There are many spooky aspects of the story during the seances, especially that of Alessandra being possessed by the angry spirit of Girolamo Savonarola, a Dominican friar from the late 1400s who had supposed prophetic abilities.
The story was told intelligently, and I learned many Italian words and phrases. I was engaged in the storytelling throughout.
January 22, 2015
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a great read for fans of historical fiction with a little fantastic flair. Schmicker's portrait of turn-of-the-twentieth-century Europe (and especially Italy) is at once vivid, compelling, and humorous. But the real strength of the story lies in the bizarrely tender friendship between the title character - a middle-aged but bewitching medium called Alessandra - and the narrator, a sixteen-year-old boy with a flair for photography. Their relationship is confusing at times (Is Tomaso in love with Alessandro or not? His feelings seem inconsistent) but the storytelling dynamic, in a way reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, is very effective. You never quite know what Alessandra's going to do next, and you'll be wondering until the very last pages whether shew as a fraud or not.
This is a great read for fans of historical fiction with a little fantastic flair. Schmicker's portrait of turn-of-the-twentieth-century Europe (and especially Italy) is at once vivid, compelling, and humorous. But the real strength of the story lies in the bizarrely tender friendship between the title character - a middle-aged but bewitching medium called Alessandra - and the narrator, a sixteen-year-old boy with a flair for photography. Their relationship is confusing at times (Is Tomaso in love with Alessandro or not? His feelings seem inconsistent) but the storytelling dynamic, in a way reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, is very effective. You never quite know what Alessandra's going to do next, and you'll be wondering until the very last pages whether shew as a fraud or not.
February 17, 2015
At times uplifting, but more often heartbreaking, The Witch Of Napoli is the story of a woman who's life is full of pitfalls, but who manages to keep going and eventually vindicate herself. She loses a lot along the way, and because I came to feel very fondly for our witch Alessandra, I can't help but be a bit sad.
In a way I'm glad to feel like this, it shows that I've developed a true interest in the main character, something which is hugely important to me as I'm always hoping for strong, relatable females in books. I enjoyed the tour of late 19th century Europe and it's varied aristocrats, and felt as though I could be have been along on that tour with our main characters. That sense of really being along for the journey helped me to read three quarters of the book in one sitting, something I rarely do.
Overall an engrossing and emotive story that will definitely stay with me.
In a way I'm glad to feel like this, it shows that I've developed a true interest in the main character, something which is hugely important to me as I'm always hoping for strong, relatable females in books. I enjoyed the tour of late 19th century Europe and it's varied aristocrats, and felt as though I could be have been along on that tour with our main characters. That sense of really being along for the journey helped me to read three quarters of the book in one sitting, something I rarely do.
Overall an engrossing and emotive story that will definitely stay with me.
February 11, 2015
This is a great book for those of us who are a little turned off by historical fiction, fearing being bogged down by myriad historical facts and stuffiness. No stuffiness here, just a plain old good story that keeps you guessing. Is the bewitching Alessandra truly telekinetic or is she just really good at faking it?
The story is told through the eyes of one of her contemporary admirers and recounts various candle-lit scenes of seances and possessions. I also admire the author's ability to address, thematically, religion and misogyny, without overshadowing the thrilling supernatural storyline. Yes, I saw what you did there Mr. Schmicker.
I will definitely be looking forward to Michael Schmicker's future work.
The story is told through the eyes of one of her contemporary admirers and recounts various candle-lit scenes of seances and possessions. I also admire the author's ability to address, thematically, religion and misogyny, without overshadowing the thrilling supernatural storyline. Yes, I saw what you did there Mr. Schmicker.
I will definitely be looking forward to Michael Schmicker's future work.
March 23, 2015
Bravo to Michael Schmicker! I don't think I can really do this story justice. The work flows so effortlessly and captivated this reader from the get-go. Even though the story is mainly told through the recollections of a young adult, italian male; you feel the emotions of Alessandra, the main character. Allesandra is a medium, in an age when spiritualism was on the rise and there were many charlatans,that scientists liked to expose and debunk. It takes place around the turn of the 19th century.This was such a different story from what I usually read and I am glad that I was given the opportunity to read this from netgalley. I totally engaging and riveting story.
February 5, 2015
Take an investigative journalist and non-fiction author like Michael Schmicker, with a history of reporting on unusual phenomenon, turn his imagination loose and what you get is an engrossing historical novel like The Witch of Napoli. What happens when someone with faith in gifts she doesn’t understand comes up against skeptical scientific minds at the turn of the 20th century?
“I shall not commit the fashionable stupidity of regarding everything I cannot explain as a fraud.” Carl Jung, Speech to the Society for Psychical Research. 1919.
“I shall not commit the fashionable stupidity of regarding everything I cannot explain as a fraud.” Carl Jung, Speech to the Society for Psychical Research. 1919.
July 14, 2015
When you go on adventure, you usually have something to write home about. In this case, there is nothing to write home about. This adventure in the past was not what I hoped for. The plot was not compelling enough, the characters lacked connection, and the historical aspect was not significant. With deep regret, I have to pass on this one.
A special thank you to AuthorBuzz, Palladino Books and Netgalley for ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
A special thank you to AuthorBuzz, Palladino Books and Netgalley for ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
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