The principle character is a young British actress named Celia Sands, whose mother, a beautiful, self-involved actress, has left Celia to be raised primarily by her close friends, a gay couple named Rupert and Bryan. They have for years served as replacements for the father that Celia never knew (and suspects that her mother can't quite identify, either). Rupert is a prominent theatrical director who has been invited to Italy to direct the first and only production of a recently discovered play written nearly a century ago by the famous poet Galeazzo D'Ascanio for his lover, the first Celia Sands. The play will be performed in the restored outdoor theater of Il Piacere, the estate that D'Ascanio built for Celia, who disappeared before the play could be produced. D'Ascanio's grandson, Alessandro, intends to donate the estate and its contents to the Forlani Foundation Trust so it can be preserved and enjoyed by the public for years to come. His only stipulation concerning the production of the play is that modern-day Celia Sands, who has been acting under the name Celia Sullivan, play the lead role.
So begins a tale that offers the reader mystery, intrigue, romance, backstage gossip, ghosts, and some wonderful glimpses into the history of Italian art. As she has in all of her novels since, Susanna Kearsley has crafted a beautiful, well-researched novel full of interesting characters. As usual, events of the past figure prominently in the unfolding of this modern-day tale. Enjoy!
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