City of Silk by Glennis Virgo

Book Blurb

Bologna, 1575.

A talented seamstress

A powerful merchant

A fierce battle of wills

Elena Morandi has gained a fragile foothold in the workshop of a master tailor, despite the profession being officially barred to her as a woman. But then a powerful man from her past crosses her path and threatens everything she has worked for. Antonio della Fontana has every corner of the city in his pocket and, as Elena knows all too well, he abused his position of power at the Baraccano orphanage. Driven to fight for justice against a man seemingly above the law, Elena hatches a plan to get retribution for herself, a lost friend and those still prey to Fontana’s abuses.

My Review
Back in my favourite Era and Country, The City of Silk is the debut book from Glennis Virgo. Set in Bologna, the afore mentioned City of Silk, with Mulberry trees outside the city gates, and a trade in taloring and seamstresses this is the story of Elena, the daughter of a tailor. After the death of her parents she is sent to the Baraccano Orphanage, a place where young girls are at the mercy of it’s patron Antonio della Fontana, before being apprentice to a seamstress. Elena has higher dreams, but women are not offered the same chances as men, or is there another way.

City of Silk is Elana’s story, and it is through her eyes and experiences that we learn about life in sixteenth century Bologna. She is a wonderful heroine, facing adversity yet always having a positive outlook, even if that makes for some bold decisions. Not willing to be a wife Elena wants to apprentice to a tailor like her father, but women in the sixteenth century are not accepted in what is seen as a male industry. Through Elena we see the difficulties of women in this period, women expected to get married and have children, are accused of being prostitutes if they are out after dusk, and are second class citizens. As a character I admired her determination, her drive for trying to get around these constrictions put on her by society. I did like the fact that Glennis Virgo did show Elena’s faults her own prejudices that cause her problems.

What I really enjoyed about City of Silk was the historical detail that really set the social and cultural scenes of the period. I loved the descriptions of the festivals both the religious, at Easter and Christmas, and the more social festivals like ‘Porchetta” that is a feast dedcated to the pig. Glennis Virgo captures the vibrant colours, the sights, the sounds and joie de vivre of these events, how importand they were to the citizens and the positive effect they had on citizens. My only complaint is that there were two events in the book, that I thought were importane, were just suddenly announced. I found myself flipping back, worried that I had missed something, I found these omissions jarred me a little bit, stopped the flow for me. Glennis Virgo doesn’t shy away from the prejudices and patriarchy society, where wealthy men got away with abuse, where homosexuals could be beaten to near death and the racism towards a girl of colour.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed City of Silk, the book as sumptous as the material referenced in the title. Elena was a wonderful heroine, ambitious and full of life, wanting more from life than what was on offer. Full of historical detail, a fasciating supporting cast and and engaging plot, this is a stunning debut and I can’t wait to read what Glennis Virago writes next.

I would like to thank Allison & Busby via NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book in return for my honest review.