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Orsola
Brief Description
Orsola is a young girl growing up at the foot of the Italian Alps in the peace following the First World War. She is satisfied with her simple life of tending to her family and roaming mountain meadows to pick alpine daisies. But as she grows...
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Format: Paperback / softback
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See moreOrsola is a young girl growing up at the foot of the Italian Alps in the peace following the First World War. She is satisfied with her simple life of tending to her family and roaming mountain meadows to pick alpine daisies.
KEY SELLING POINTS
- Orsola gently explores the parallels between Mussolini's Italy and the current political climate of the world. The story becomes more relevant as time goes on.
- A coming of age story examining domestic life and the choices that women face - historically and in current times.
- The style of writing and setting evoke lush landscapes, and a sensory dive into the heart of Lombardy, Italy.
- Cleverly weaves historical figures into a fictional reimagining of this infamous time in Italy's history.
- The style of writing and setting evoke lush landscapes, and a sensory dive into the heart of Lombardy, Italy, while also imagining the possibility of a peaceful life in faraway New Zealand.
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Description
Orsola is a young girl growing up at the foot of the Italian Alps in the peace following the First World War. She is satisfied with her simple life of tending to her family and roaming mountain meadows to pick alpine daisies.
But as she grows older, the world around her becomes more complicated and the search for her prized flowers becomes a search for something more. By chance, she forms a life-changing friendship with glamorous Claretta, a girl from Milan. A wide-eyed Orsola soon discovers that Claretta's family is well-connected to fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.
As dark clouds gather, Orsola tries to make sense of her changing landscape, from her amiable but oppressive village life to the extravagance and extremes of Claretta's upper-class circle. She wrestles with her duty to her family, to her country, and ultimately to herself.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780473794088
Publisher: Alpine Star Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 01 August 2026
Country: New Zealand
Imprint: Alpine Star Press
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 156.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 218
About the Author
Linda is a New Zealand writer of Italian descent. She completed her Masters in Creative Writing with Distinction at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington in 2020. She has had a short fiction piece published in Turbine-Kapohau online journal, and was awarded runner up in Little Monroe Lit's novel excerpt competition 2025. She lives in Wellington with her partner and two children.
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