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. Meanwhile, 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. Inspired by the true-life story of controversial Italian medium Eusapia Palladino (1854-1918), The Witch of Napoli masterfully resurrects the bitter,19th-century battle between Science and religion over the possibility of an afterlife, while earning praise from Kirkus Reviews as an “enchanting and graceful narrative that absorbs readers from the first page.”
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Great book. It brings you into life of a Spiritualist in 1899 Italy. Is the firey medium really contacting the dead or is she a fake? The Vatican is trying its best to discredit her as is England’s Society for the investigation of mediums. Follow Alessandra as she travels around Italy talking to the dead.
Gorgeous, historical, haunting
The story of Alessandra and young Tommaso is a fast-paced ride of thrills and adventure mixed with heartache and pain. I loved the ongoing quest for a safe life and brighter future and I hated when the story ended. Finishing a good book is like parting with a dear friend. You hate to say goodbye.
Writing about a historical time, and the scams that were pulled back then.
I enjoyed this book. It was well written. It is so different than what I usually read.
This book is absolutely fantastic
I didn’t like the book enough to finish it
Great story! Well-written book set in a time and place that lent itself beautifully to the overall tone of the book.
Boring
DNF
I couldn’t finish this book. The characters didn’t capture my interest.
Original twist on the “Is it magic or not?” school of realism. At first, you are convinced the unlikely psychic at the center of the story is a fraud – but then, you start to become convinced. Many of the period details are excellent and the descriptions of the seances are unusual and intriguing. The pacing is slow, and the subplots are less …
Didn’t really catch my interest
Exciting, colorful, hard to put down, and based on a long-ago real life seance psychic in Europe with special powers that challenged religion and science.
This book was different from what I normally read, but what a wonderful story. The author really captured the emotions of the characters well. Really enjoyed it.#W
To me this book was more like reading a bibliography. Starts and ends with death of main character. Story line twists and turns and follows the tragedy of one woman’s life. Not the best for a beach read.
While it was easy to read, I thought it would have a little more to it than was there. It just failed to hold my interest.
I enjoyed this book. Confusing at times since the story lacked transitions. I found myself re-reading often to find what I thought I had missed—but there was nothing to fill in the gaps. Plot driven.
I was very quickly bored and abandoned this story.
Very enjoyable read with interesting, imperfect characters. Based on a real person.