The Wedding Shroud – A Tale of Early Rome
‘All the drama and sensuality expected of a historical romance, plus a sensitivity to the realities of life in a very different time and world’ Ursula Le Guin
In 406 BC, to seal a tenuous truce, the young Roman Caecilia is wedded to Vel Mastarna, an Etruscan nobleman from the city of Veii. The fledgling Republic lies only twelve miles across the Tiber from its neighbour, but the cities are from opposing worlds so different are their customs and beliefs.
Leaving behind a righteous society, Caecilia is determined to remain true to Roman virtues while living among the sinful Etruscans. Instead she finds herself tempted by a mystical, hedonistic culture which offers pleasure and independence to women as well as a chance to persuade the Gods to delay her destiny. Yet Mastarna and his people also hold dark secrets and, as war looms, Caecilia discovers that Fate is not so easy to control and that she must finally choose where her allegiance lies.
Exploring themes of sexuality, destiny versus self-determination and tolerance versus prejudice, The Wedding Shroud is a novel that vividly captures a historical time and place while accenting the lives of women of the ancient world.
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2 comments
Elisabeth Storrs
September 6, 2011 at 2:11 am (UTC 2) Link to this comment
I’m not aware of any link to Graham Storrs although anything is possible where ancestory is concerned. My Australian branch of the family originally came from Chesire UK. It was interesting to find out that there is a city of Storrs in Connecticut so obviously some of the Storrses crossed the Atlantic at one stage!
Mary Ridgway
September 6, 2011 at 2:19 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
This must be worth a look if Ursula le Guin endorsed it. The idea of comparing the virtuous Romans and sinful Etruscans is also intriguing. I haven’t come across many novels set in Etruria.