LUCIA A Venetian Life in the Age of Napoleon

The wild mix of battles, intrigues, corruption, and romantic dalliances that was Venice during the Napoleonic era is captured in Andrea di Robilant's reconstruction of the life of his distant relative, Lucia. A member of the nobility, Lucia was a minor player in and astute observer and chronicler of the politics, upheaval, and grandeur of this time period. Di Robilant cleverly combines the broader historic picture with the narrower window onto daily life that Lucia's letters provide. Narrator Stephen Hoye is an excellent choice to carry the sweep of this historical drama. In addition to handling Italian phrases and names comfortably, his impressive and convincing range of emotion and inflection makes this sprawling narrative clear and easy to follow. M.O.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2008]