Unable to find a suitable husband in New York, American
heiress Clare Herschel had sailed with her mother to
England, where parties from good families didn't care if the
money came from trade when their coffers were empty. The
eligible bachelors seemed a dour lot, until Emmett Markham,
the Earl of Linwood, made Clare laugh. Soon they were in
love, married, and Clare was almost as happy as she'd hoped.
Bennett's father, the Marquess of Hadwell, wasn't exactly
welcoming, and after her second miscarriage, Clare started
to wonder if the apple hadn't fallen very far from the tree
where Emmett was concerned. Emmett's villa in Sicily
beckoned, so Clare left for Italy hoping the balmy weather
would prove beneficial to her health. Since Emmett hadn't
seemed to care, she didn't know what to think when he
arrived on her doorstep, only to unhappily realize his
father demanded she went back to London so they would appear
the perfect couple when Emmett runs for a seat in
Parliament. Little did they know that an earthquake would
alter the course of their lives.
Upon reading the book description, it was clear that BENEATH
AN ITALIAN SKY would be a very emotional story. Miscarriages
are often mentioned in historical romances but seldom
explored in depth. It's a heartbreaking topic, further
exacerbated by the aristocracy's exigencies for heirs, and
Stacy Henrie just about gutted me. Ms. Henrie's structural
choice for the story is extremely effective: the narrative
alternates between the present and goes back to the moment
Emmett and Clare met then moves forward in time. The
transitions are done very smoothly, and the back and forth
gradually allows us to see how Clare and Emmett's happy
marriage started to slowly disintegrate, and ultimately how
faith and hope supplants hopelessness.
The catastrophic earthquake that hit Sicily in 1908, a true
historical event, plays a pivotal role in the story. It
occurred to me while writing this review that the earthquake
is an apt metaphor to describe the various stages of Clare
and Emmett's marriage. I was completely immersed in the
story, suffering along with Clare and Emmett, not really
seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and desperately
hoping for them to recapture that initial spark.
Ms. Henrie has again crafted an extraordinary cast of
characters, notably Lord Hadwell, Emmett's father, who is
chillingly realistic, and the unforgettable Antonina. And
yes, I cried. I've always praised Stacy Henrie's phenomenal
storytelling skills and her stellar eloquence, and both are
displayed to full effect in this moving novel. BENEATH AN
ITALIAN SKY is a story that shows us that true love will
prevail, but that there is no magical solution. I fear I do
not possess the necessary skills to express how I feel about
this book. I knew the day would come when a Stacy Henrie
novel would leave me at a loss for words, and I think the
unforgettable BENEATH AN ITALIAN SKY did it.
BENEATH AN ITALIAN SKY
--1908--
American heiress Clare Herschel made what she hoped was a
love match when she married the handsome, witty Emmett
Markham, the Earl of Linwood. A little over a year into
her marriage, though, Clare finds herself wintering in
Sicily—alone. She is sure the mild climate is the answer
to avoiding another miscarriage and Emmett’s apparent
indifference, so she’s determined to remain in Italy as
long as possible. The last person she expects to show up
at the villa is her husband, especially when Emmett
confesses he’s there to convince her to return to
England.
As the only surviving son of a marquess, Emmett has done
everything his father has asked of him—even agreeing to
run for a seat in the House of Commons. However, this
latest task comes with a nearly impossible caveat. He
must convince his wife Clare to come back to England with
him in order for them to appear to be a happy couple for
his political campaigning. Emmett isn’t confident Clare
will agree to the plan, though, not when she seems to
want nothing to do with him or the life they’d begun
building before she abruptly left him for Italy.
When a massive earthquake strikes Messina, Sicily,
claiming the lives of thousands, Clare and Emmett must
set aside their mutual misgivings about their marriage in
order to survive and lend a helping hand to others. But
in the wake of the destruction, they begin to realize
they’ve been given a chance to decide if their love is
stronger than the upheavals of the past.
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