Teresa never thought she’d fall head over heels for Alessandro Manzoni before she even met the man. She certainly isn’t the type to play that game: she’s a young, well-off widow with a son, a position in society, and an education that allows her to shine at the literary salons in 19th-century Milan. It follows that when Manzoni himself becomes a widower on the death of his first wife Enrichetta in childbirth, the last of many, a close friend schemes to have the two ‘meet cute’ at opening night at la Scala. Wedding bells will ring in January 1837, and the passion runs high from the very start.

Marina Marazza specializes in historical themes and social customs. She contributes to various magazines, such as Io Donna. She has written novels, non-fiction, and non-fiction novels, including her most recent titles brought out by Solferino: L’ombra di Caterina (2019); Io sono la strega (2020, winner of the Salgari Award, the Asti Award, and the 2021 Selezione Bancarella Award); Miserere (2020); La moglie di Dante (2021); and Le due mogli di Manzoni (2022, Acqui Storia Award, Scritture di Lago Award, and Ippolito Nievo Award).