Waking Isabella is a story about uncovering hidden beauty that, over time, has been lost, erased, or suppressed. It also weaves together several love stories as well as a few mysteries. Nora, an assistant researcher, is a catalyst for resolving the puzzle of a painting that has been missing for decades. Set in Arezzo, a small Tuscan town, the plot unfolds against the backdrop of the city’s … of the city’s antique trade and the fanfare and pageantry of its medieval jousting festival. While filming a documentary about Isabella de’ Medici—the Renaissance princess who was murdered by her husband—Nora begins to connect with the lives of two remarkable women from the past. Unraveling the stories of Isabella, the daughter of a fifteenth-century Tuscan duke, and Margherita, a young girl trying to survive the war in Nazi-occupied Italy, Nora begins to question the choices that have shaped her own life up to this point. As she does, hidden beauty is awakened deep inside of her, and she discovers the keys to her creativity and happiness. It is a story of love and deceit, forgeries and masterpieces—all held together by the allure and intrigue of a beautiful Tuscan ghost.
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Waking Isabella is the second fiction novel by author Melissa Muldoon that embraces her love of Italy including its culture, history, food and art.
There are two main characters at the very center of this story who live at different times. First is Nora, an academic who has recently divorced and decided to revisit Italy to film a documentary on a Renaissance princess she has been researching. From the past is the princess – Isabella – who meets her end at the hands of her husband. There are also many other wonderful characters to be found that are crucial to this tale, but these two carry the main plot.
Waking Isabella moves seamlessly from present to past and back, slowly revealing the story line by peeling back one layer at a time. Nora and Isabella’s stories are in many ways parallel journeys through bad marriages as well as finding love with another. As Isabella lives in a different time, her love has to stay a clandestine affair. Divorce was not an option For Nora in the present, it is a new relationship post-divorce with an antique dealer in Italy where she is staying.
I love the way the author’s writing takes the reader between past and present so seamlessly it feels like they are happening side by side. I also enjoyed the chance to learn about Italian history during several eras – the Renaissance, the German occupation and the current day. However, this isn’t a history lesson. Over the course of the book the past and present story lines draw closer and closer until they meet in an ending that is the perfect period to this tale.
Waking Isabella is a story of passion, love, grief and redemption that is built upon the stories of the characters we meet – their pasts, their secrets, their insecurities and their passions. Kudos to the author on a well crafted story
I have read and enjoyed books by Melissa Muldoon. So, it was exciting to have the opportunity to read Waking Isabella. It was no disappointment. This one is probably my favorite to date. It was great how the author was able intertwine the fifteenth, twentieth, and twenty first centuries. Even though there are a variety of characters in the book, I thought it was easy to keep up with them all. I loved being whisked away to the beautiful setting of Arezzo, a little Tuscan town. Nora’s story was so very good. It was intriguing how the ghosts of the past showed her their lives. The mysteries surrounding Isabella de’ Medici and Margherita had me hooked from start to finish. It was beautiful watching Nora’s character grow throughout and there are so many lessons to learn for us all within the pages.
I had the pleasure of listening to the audio version of Waking Isabella. The narration was done by the talented Amy Gordon. She did a great job of bringing this story to life. Her performance was perfect and helped kept my attention throughout the book.
Waking Isabella is getting a very well deserved five plus stars from me. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy reading time slips novels. I will definitely be looking for more by Melissa Muldoon in the future. She has earned herself a new fan.
I received Waking Isabella from the publisher. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
I was first introduced to Melissa Muldoon’s novels with Dreaming Sophia. Waking Isabella was my second novel by her, and I loved it even more (if that was possible). The way the setting and characters were described transports you to make you feel as if you are there with them breathing in the same air. I loved the storyline and the character of Nora too. How Melissa wrote female characters that are somehow related was amazing. I also really enjoyed the way historical fiction was brought into this novel. It was my favorite part. Overall, I definitely recommend reading this novel. It won’t disappoint!