A dazzling literary epic of passion, resistance, betrayal, and unexpected companionship, set against the haunting beauty of 19th-century Venice.
Venice, 1817. A fingerless nobleman, a revolutionary milliner, a wounded poet, a ruthless assassin—and a puffin—become entangled in a chain of events sparked by the mysterious arrival of a seabird at the Rialto Market.
At the heart of the story is Alva, a fiercely independent milliner fighting against Venice’s Habsburg occupiers, and her brother Favaloro, who smuggles cod and revolutionary messages from the Lofoten Islands. Together they join the Carbonari, plotting rebellion while navigating dangerous loyalties, forbidden love, and political intrigue.
Both siblings are drawn to Tommaso, a poet who walks with a crutch yet possesses a voice powerful enough to overturn hearts and convictions alike. As betrayals mount and revolutionary dreams begin to collapse, Tommaso faces execution, Alva is forced toward sacrifice, and the puffin’s strange destiny becomes unexpectedly tied to them all.
Written with lyricism, wit, and dark humor, the novel blends historical fiction, romance, political intrigue, and magical eccentricity into a genre-defying tale that explores love, trauma, language, faith, and the enduring fire of resistance.
By acclaimed novelist Michelle Lovric, whose work often explores Venice as both setting and living presence, this unforgettable story welcomes readers into a richly imagined world filled with unforgettable human—and nonhuman—characters.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Venice, 1817. A fingerless nobleman, a revolutionary milliner, a wounded poet, a ruthless assassin—and a puffin—become entangled in a chain of events sparked by the mysterious arrival of a seabird at the Rialto Market.
At the heart of the story is Alva, a fiercely independent milliner fighting against Venice’s Habsburg occupiers, and her brother Favaloro, who smuggles cod and revolutionary messages from the Lofoten Islands. Together they join the Carbonari, plotting rebellion while navigating dangerous loyalties, forbidden love, and political intrigue.
Both siblings are drawn to Tommaso, a poet who walks with a crutch yet possesses a voice powerful enough to overturn hearts and convictions alike. As betrayals mount and revolutionary dreams begin to collapse, Tommaso faces execution, Alva is forced toward sacrifice, and the puffin’s strange destiny becomes unexpectedly tied to them all.
Written with lyricism, wit, and dark humor, the novel blends historical fiction, romance, political intrigue, and magical eccentricity into a genre-defying tale that explores love, trauma, language, faith, and the enduring fire of resistance.
By acclaimed novelist Michelle Lovric, whose work often explores Venice as both setting and living presence, this unforgettable story welcomes readers into a richly imagined world filled with unforgettable human—and nonhuman—characters.
Genre: Literary Fiction
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