REVIEW
I absolutely adored The Secret Daughter of Venice by Juliet Greenwood! It captured my heart from the first page. (The cover is gorgeous, too!) This is a story about family roots and understanding who you are. The age old question of nature versus nurture comes to mind. This quandary is analysed and its effects are visible in the story. It is obvious that genes play a big part in our abilities, mannerisms and appearance. Our personality and our reactions are a product of our parents, too, along with the world around us. Character Kate is a good example of this and although her years on the Arden Estate have contributed to her development, she feels unfulfilled and needs to connect with her birth mother and the past to feel whole. And, most importantly, to move forward.
Kate has grown up feeling like a misfit in the Arden family. She loves her siblings—even her controlling Papa and hard-working stepmother. But there is a lot of mystery surrounding her origins that nobody seems to want to talk about. There are many hidden secrets that have kept her in the dark. But why? With ongoing flashes of images from her early childhood haunting her, she must get to the source of these troubling visions. And to do that, she must revisit locations that have been part of her past life. It is quite a puzzle to solve but her mother has left clues in some artwork for her. Of course, she also wonders why her mother gave her up in the first place. The answer to this question is a lot more complex than first thought— which becomes obvious when information slowly comes to light.
Art is Kate Arden’s passion. Where does this love of drawing and painting come from? She remembers loving arms and hands guiding her, encouraging her to exercise this gift. Kate is most at home with a pencil in her hand. It is her happy place away from the jeers of the towns people caught in the throes of gossip who claim she is illegitimate. Kate differs from other family members. She has dark hair and olive skin indicating her Italian heritage. But she has grown up in a long standing English noble family whose historic foundation is crumbling. A family who is fighting to save its legacy and regain its wealth. This creates real friction among its members. And it is a dangerous situation to be in for a girl. As various options are considered such as marrying the Arden daughters off to wealthy men. Kate, of course, rejects this proposition and as she escapes to follow the path her heart wants to go, she begins to grow, learn new things and find her feet.
During World War II, Kate finds a way to leave the Estate by taking part in a volunteer program. This sends her to another part of England where she teaches children who have lost family. Her search for her mother begins here and she finds some intriguing clues. She also ends up in Venice and I found this part of the story very fascinating. It was lovely to see her artistic talent blossom in such a beautiful setting and to see her meeting artists who help her feel a sense of belonging.
The story presents another perspective: Sophia. This provides additional insight and allows us to get to know the woman Kate seeks. My heart was racing many times when she also sets out on a journey to find her daughter. The trail is a hit and miss for a while as mother and daughter pass each other at various check points. But everything comes together in a fine blend with a positive resolution that brought happy tears to my eyes.
I must not forget to mention the one they called Lady MacBeth (Contessa). She was a real Ice Queen and it was hard to imagine any chance of warmth or kindness flowing from her heart. Kate gets to see who she is and shakes her head that someone could be so cruel and uncaring of their daughter and granddaughter. It just proves how the ruthless pursuit of money and position can twist the mind of an individual and drive them to horrid ends. Wealth can become a wicked taskmaster. Yes, this woman never wanted to go back to being poor again but her endless hateful schemes brought her nothing but failure and grief.
This is a fabulous novel that left its mark on my heart. I highly recommend The Secret Daughter of Venice but be prepared to free up many hours in your day as you won’t want to set this book down until you are done! 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my review copy.
