The Venetian Mask

Enduring friendships and long-held vendettas come alive against the splendor and decadence of eighteenth-century Venice.

In 1775 Venice—known to outsiders as “the brothel of Europe”—the tradition of mask-wearing has allowed adultery and debauchery to flourish. But Marietta and Elena, two friends at the Ospedale della Pietà, a world-famous orphanage and music school for girls, know little of that milieu—until they come of age.

Elena is forced to wed the head of the Celano clan, a jealous, b...