The Carnival of Florence

by Marjorie Bowen

A Dominican Italian friar, Girolamo Savonarola was a preacher active in Renaissance Florence – and is often deemed one of the most tragic figures in modern history.

A Protestant but not a Heretic, a Reformer but not a Dissenter, Savonarola’s ambitious attempt to transform the Roman Church and prevent the Reformation was one fraught with dichotomies and struggle. Forced to confront not only his own inadequacies, but also those of his Faith, more often than not Savonarola found himself an impediment to his own inspiration.

But when his refusal to join the Holy League against the French resulted in Savonarola being summoned directly to the Vatican, his future suddenly became even more uncertain...

Through her celebrated blend of history and fiction, Bowen brings this unfortunate figure to life in this biographical novel. Set in fifteenth-century Italy, The Carnival of Florence is a gripping tale of a remarkable man who led a life of tragedy that met a fiery end…

Praise for Marjorie Bowen

‘Miss Bowen’s work is of the exceptional class’ - The Scotsman

Marjorie Bowen often wrote under the pseudonym Margaret Gabrielle Vere Campbell Long, and was one of Britain’s most prolific authors of the twentieth century. Between 1906 and her death in 1952, Bowen wrote over 150 books, garnering much acclaim for her popular histories and historical and Gothic romances. Alongside masterful descriptions and concise, efficient prose, she deftly rendered larger-than-life subjects in the minds of her readers. Her other titles include The Sword Decided, Mary Queen of Scots, The Queen’s Caprice, The Governor of England, Mistress Nell Gwynn and Dickon.

554 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 18, 2013

About the author

Marjorie Bowen (pseudonym of Mrs Gabrielle Margaret V[ere] Long née Campbell), was a British author who wrote historical romances, supernatural horror stories, popular history and biography. Her total output numbers over 150 volumes with the bulk of her work under the 'Bowen' pseudonym. She also wrote under the names Joseph Shearing, George R. Preedy, John Winch, Robert Paye, and Margaret Campbell. As Joseph Shearing, she wrote several sinister gothic romances full of terror and mystery. Many of these stories were published as Berkley Medallion Books. Several of her books were adapted as films. Her books are much sought after by aficionados of gothic horror and received praise from critics.

Bowen's alcoholic father left the family at an early age and was eventually found dead on a London street. After this, Bowen's prolific writings were the chief financial support for her family. She was married twice: first, from 1912-16, to a Sicilian named Zefferino Emilio Constanza, who died of tuberculosis, and then to one Arthur L. Long. Her first novel was The Viper of Milan (1906), after which she produced a steady stream of writings until the day of her death on 23rd December 1952. Her last, posthumous, novel was The Man with the Scales (1954).