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Book Summary and Reviews of The House of the Wind by Titania Hardie

The House of the Wind by Titania Hardie

The House of the Wind

A Novel

by Titania Hardie

  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Published:
  • Mar 2012, 480 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

The internationally bestselling author of The Rose Labyrinth returns with a love story of magic and healing about two women, centuries apart, who fight to make the world of their dreams a reality.

San Francisco, 2007. Madeline Moretti is grieving her fiancé's death. Nothing brings her joy anymore, and Maddie's grandmother, a fiery Italian, sends her to Tuscany to heal. Here, Maddie is immersed in the mystery of a ruined villa. Destroyed centuries ago in a legendary storm on the Eve of St. Agnes, it has been known ever since as the Casa al Vento - the House of the Wind.

Tuscany, 1347. Mia hasn't spoken since her mother's death and lives in silence with her beloved aunt. One dark night, a couple seeks refuge in their villa. Used to welcoming passing pilgrims, Mia is entranced by the young bride's radiance and compassion but is mystified by her reluctance to reveal even her name. Where has she come from, and why must her presence be a secret?

As each searches for a way to step into her future, both Mia and Maddie will be haunted by the myth of the young woman who walked unscathed from the ruins of the House of the Wind.

Paperback Original

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. Hardie has merged Under the Tuscan Sun with Erin Brockovich into a story both heavily atmospheric and thematically hypnotic." - Publishers Weekly

"Hardie seems heavily in thrall to her research; while her twin tales eventually reach pat endings, they fall short of a fully meshed conclusion." - Kirkus Reviews

"Utterly fascinating. Totally absorbing. A magical blend of historical fiction and modern day suspense, The House of The Wind is a marvel of the esoteric. An entrancing and enchanting novel that combines myth and folklore, past and the present, mystery and romance, and clearly cements Hardie's burgeoning reputation as a literary conjurer." - M.J. Rose, internationally bestselling author of The Book of Lost Fragrances

This information about The House of the Wind was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Titania Hardie

Titania Hardie is the author of The Rose Labyrinth, as well as several books on folklore, magic, and divination. A native of Sydney, Australia, she lives in Somerset, England with her husband and two daughters. Visit her online at www.theroselabyrinth.com.

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