Martin writes with amplitude, precision, grace and wit -- Margaret Atwood

She always produces something unexpected and revelatory -- Jane Smiley

Martin's writing is a reward in itself, a wonderful precision-tool. She uses it to chisel at the human condition - and the effect is astonishing ― Financial Times

Valerie Martin has always been a consummate storyteller, but in her new novel she tackles the question of where do a writer's stories come from. And to whom does a story belong? The person it happened to or the one who tells it. In some ways all writers betray their subjects, and Valerie Martin digs into the heart of that betrayal. Reminiscent of Rachel Cusk's Outline Martin masterfully gives voice to those who have been silenced, whose stories would be lost were it not for a writer to retell it. -- Mary Morris, author of Gateway to the Moon

Valerie Martin is a fleet-footed writer; you never quite know where she'll go next ― Observer

An Italian villa and the family that owns it capture the imagination of an American writer in Martin's intimate, disquieting latest ... Martin's engrossing tale explores relationships among family members and workers over four generations ... Martin's masterly descriptions of the villa and its gardens are transportive. Evoking the charms and complexities of 20th-century Italy, Martin offers a thought-provoking reflection on writing, friendship, family, and betrayal. ― Publishers Weekly

Yes, the narrator of Martin's new novel is a middle-aged American woman vacationing in Tuscany, but this prickly, uncomfortably relevant dive into personal and societal ethics is no escapist romance... Martin parses personal and social politics with methodical care and a reserved tone reminiscent of Edith Wharton. ― Kirkus, starred review

Immensely satisfying ... cleverly plotted and packed with great characters, both Jan's creative struggles and her beautifully wrought stories of the Salviati family lift themselves effortlessly free of their source material, whatever or wherever that may be. They demonstrate the enchanted moment when words on a page rise by virtue of the alliance of a mysterious grace and sheer hard work, and create magic. -- Christobel Kent ― Guardian

The story slips between past and present and is an interesting reversal of all the usual mellow Italian tropes. We may be Under The Tuscan Sun, but we're definitely in the shadows here ... an absorbing read ― Daily Mail

Exquisite -- Jane Shilling ― Daily Telegraph

A timeless story of family, war, art, and betrayal from bestselling novelist Valerie Martin