Synopses & Reviews
A richly evocative tale of a woman's struggle for life and love A triumphant follow-up to Simonetta Agnello Hornby’s internationally
acclaimed The Almond Picker, this entertaining new novel is an intricate family saga interwoven with violent passions, cruelty, deceit, and the abuse of power. The Marchesa is an eyeopening historical drama about a remarkable woman and her extraordinary family, and the complex, often abusive relations that mark the lives of master and servant, brother and sister, husband and wife.
Costanza Safamita, beloved daughter of Baron Domenico Safamita, is a precious but unusual child. Redhaired, gawky, and shy, she is considered an outsider by many on the family estate, but her adoring father makes her sole heir to the Safamita fortune, and then everything changes—for them and for her. Now she must conquer glittering, alien Palermo—where, uncertain of her future, she falls in love with a charming, dissolute young marchese whose sexual appetite she fears she cannot satiate.
The Marchesa’s brave, unusual story offers an unprecedented woman’s perspective on the incestuous hypocrisy of the Sicilian aristocracy during a dramatic time in its history, as the Bourbon monarchy collapsed, the Mafia rose to power, and Palermo’s decadent aristocracy began its inevitable decline. These themes are flawlessly woven into the fabric of Costanza’s triumphant life, so that The Marchesa becomes not only an unforgettable human tale but a masterly fresco of a vanished world.
Review
"Charming and engaging, this novel will please readers of family sagas as well as fans of Hornby's first book."--Booklist
"In this wonderful follow-up to her acclaimed novel The Almond Picker, Hornby again delves into the lives of an Italian family. . . . An engrossing tale of one young woman's perspective on a dramatic time in Italian history. Highly recommended."--Library Journal
"A voluptuously enjoyable historical novel . . . [its] luscious imagery, emphasis on family mythology and constantly conflicting passions all make for an entertaining read."--The Guardian (UK)
Synopsis
The beloved child of Baron Domenico Safamita, Costanza Safamita becomes her father's sole heir and is forced to take on the glittering society of Palermo, where she falls in love with charming but dissolute young marchese, in a novel set against the backdrop of the collapse of the Bourbon dynasty and the rise to power of the Mafia. By the author of The Almond Picker. 20,000 first printing.
Synopsis
From the award-winning and internationally acclaimed author of The Almond Picker comes this sumptuous family saga set in nineteenth-century Sicily. Costanza Safamita is the beloved daughter of the Baron Domenico Safamita: Red-haired, gawky, and shy, she is considered an outsider by many on her family's estate. But when her adoring father makes her the sole heir to the Safamita fortune, she finds herself plunged into the glittering world of Palermo society, and into the arms of a depraved husband. As Costanza endures the travails of her marriage, she must also fight to preserve the family's household and way of life against the tide of revolution and change. Set against the fall of the Bourbon monarchy, and the rise of the mafia, The Marchesa is a scintillating family drama, and a masterly fresco of a now vanished world.
About the Author
SIMONETTA AGNELLO HORNBY was born in Palermo and studied law in England, where she now lives. She is also the author of The Almond Picker.
Reading Group Guide
Discussion Questions
1. Caterina immediately rejects the baby when she finds out it is a girl. Her rejection of Costanza is complete, and except for only brief flashes of affection, she is unable to feel anything but revulsion for her daughter. Why is a male child so vital for Caterina, yet not as important for Domenico? How does Caterinas situation compare with those of other modern day cultures where male children are preferred?
2. History is very important to the Safamitas and other members of the nobility. On p. 34-5, relatives of the Safamitas make underhanded comments about the disgraceful behavior of the House of Safamita during the Inquisition, almost as if it were something transpiring in the present. Why is history so important for the nobility? Is there a way in which they rely on history for their privileges? Do we have such an attitude in contemporary America? Why or why not?
3. Each chapter starts off with an epigram, a quote and a brief description of the ensuing action in each chapter. What did you think of these? Did they make each chapter seem more suspenseful? What would the story have been like without them? Why do you think Hornby chose to tell her story in this manner?
4. Costanza has felt the lack of love from her mother all her life, and as she started to wonder about romantic love, she asked people around her what they believed love was. On p. 91, Costanza concludes that the love between her parents was stronger than the love between her cousin and his wife who had just gotten married. Why do you think she concluded this? Do you think she is right? Could the bond between her parents really be described as love? Or is it something else? Does Costanza understand love?
5. Throughout the book, we see the action portrayed from the perspective of the Safamitas, but we also see what happens through the eyes of the servants, such as Amalia in her stories about Costanza to her niece Pinuzza, and the gossip among the staff. In what way do the servants perceive events differently from the aristocrats? Why do you think Hornby chose to tell the story through the eyes of both groups? How would the story have been different if it were only told from the perspective of the servants, or only from that of the Safamitas?
6. On p.137-8, Maria Teccapiglia, an old family maid, tells Costanza the story of the disappearing island of Ferdinandea, which was discovered on the day of her mother Caterinas birth. The island was claimed in turn by multiple countries until finally it was reclaimed by the sea and thus no one was able to conquer it. Maria concludes that Caterina was like this island of Ferdinandea. Why do you think she makes this comparison? Is this a flattering comparison?
7. When Costanza finally consents to her fathers wishes to find a husband, she goes to Palermo, and feels confused and bored by the social life there and cannot take any interest in the eligible bachelors who are presented to her. But on p.190, she meets Pietro for the first time and instantly falls in love with him, even though we find out later that he did not feel the same way about her, and even found her unappealing. Why do you think Costanza fell in love with Pietro so quickly and so intensely? Was this due to her lack of experience? Or do you think that she saw something in him that others didnt see?
8. How are the business affairs of the Safamitas affected by the Tignusos and the rise of the mafia? What is the function of the Tignusos as field overseers such that their power began to grow? Do you think that the Tignusos were loyal to the Safamitas? How does the mafia as it is understood in Sicily during this time period differ from the mafia in contemporary society?
9. Costanzas father told her that she was the only "child of love." What did he mean by that, ultimately? Why were Stefano and Giacomo not children of love? Why do you think that Domenico loved Costanza the most because she was a child of love? Why did this cause Caterina to detest Costanza? Is it because Caterina felt that the circumstances that brought Costanza into the world were a sin, or is it because she felt she failed in her duty to her husband?
10. Why does Pietro suddenly fall in love with Costanza? Is it because in mistaking her for a maid, he is suddenly able to see her as an object of sexual desire? Or is it because Costanza had been ableto truly put her fathers advice into effect, and had learned to love herself?
11. Was Costanza right to take such an interest in Pietros illegitimate child? Could she have handled it differently in a manner which still would have had the best interests of everyone in mind? Do you think her reasons for keeping Rura and Antonio around were selfish? Or were they noble? Was Costanza right to conclude that Rura was not depraved, but was just a human being in difficult circumstances, victimized by her lot in life? What would you have done in Costanzas position?
12. Was Costanza right not to forgive her husband when she thought she had seen him with another woman? Should she have been more trusting of Pietro? Was her inability to listen to him a matter of pride, or was she trying to protect herself? How was Costanzas reaction to this different from the way Stefano and Domenico dealt with each other when Stefano wanted to marry the blacksmiths daughter?
13. How do you think that Pietro died so suddenly? Do you think there was foul play, or was it simply natural causes? Would there be any reason to suspect Rura, or the mafiosi? Do you think Pietro still hoped for a reconciliation with Costanza when he died? Did Costanza feel a sense of responsibility for his death? Did she die from guilt?
14. How do you think that the Safamitas were portrayed in the novel? Did they seem glamorous? Or did the life of the aristocracy appear to be more trouble than it was worth? Was the story of Costanzas life ultimately a tragedy?