writing the women history forgot

Broken Madonna featured in La Lovely Vita

When a reader, or reviewer, really gets your book, it is a moment of quiet satisfaction. And encouragement, as I wrestle with plot conundrums and the emotional journey of the characters in my next book.

At the moment, I'm looking to bring alive a young, ambitious woman in 1920s Italy, as Fascism gains momentum. How can she remain true to herself and her values, when at that time, politics and religion meant that for a woman of her background, her lot in life was one of subservience?

Like my character, Maria, I am going to have to take a leap of faith.

I have to remind myself I have done this before.

This was where this review has proved perfectly timed:

"Broken Madonna offers far more than a beautifully told tale. It’s a tapestry of interwoven lives and histories, steeped in silence, faith, and the quiet resilience of forgotten women. It was clear that this book had been lived before it was written. And reading it feels a little like receiving a secret someone finally had the courage to tell."

"There’s an unflinching tenderness in how Anna portrays poverty, motherhood, and post-war trauma. Her prose is lyrical but grounded, steeped in the textures of real lives."

"This isn’t the Italy of postcards. It’s the Italy of scars, of memory, of faith carried like a stone in the chest."

Maybe, just maybe I can do Maria justice. Watch this space.