What do you think?
Rate this book
Libretto
The verdant landscape of central Italy provides the setting for this operatically infused novel in which three ex-patriots, drawn together by their mutual passion for opera, experience the personal challenges of loss, grief, and passionate love.
354 pages, Paperback
Published September 22, 2022
About the author
Ann Wadsworth
4 books4 followersAnn Wadsworth was born and raised in St. Louis, and now lives in Boston. She has degrees in English from Berea College, the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and a certificate of proficiency in Italian language and literature from the Italian University for Foreigners in Perugia, Italy.
Her first novel, Light, Coming Back, was shortlisted for the Ferro-Grumley Prize, the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction, and the Stephen Crane First Fiction Award, and was a Book of the Month Club selection. Her most recent novel, Ferragosto, was supported by the MacDowell Colony and the Boston Athenaeum. Her short stories have appeared in Christopher Street Magazine (including its anthology Aphrodisiac), and Blithe House Quarterly. She currently lives in Boston.
Her first novel, Light, Coming Back, was shortlisted for the Ferro-Grumley Prize, the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction, and the Stephen Crane First Fiction Award, and was a Book of the Month Club selection. Her most recent novel, Ferragosto, was supported by the MacDowell Colony and the Boston Athenaeum. Her short stories have appeared in Christopher Street Magazine (including its anthology Aphrodisiac), and Blithe House Quarterly. She currently lives in Boston.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 14, 2026
Ann Wadsworth’s *Libretto* is an evocative literary novel that brings together the enchanting world of opera, the beauty of central Italy, and the complicated emotions that shape human relationships. Set in the historic city of Perugia, the story draws readers into an artistic community where ambition, creativity, personal struggles, and unexpected connections intertwine.
The narrative follows Allyn Crosbie, a journalist who travels to Italy to cover an opera production threatened with collapse. What begins as a straightforward assignment soon becomes a far more personal experience as she encounters Elaine Bishop, an inventive stage director determined to save the production, and Vincent Norrie, a composer facing a life-threatening illness while struggling to complete his first operatic score. Together, they must confront the threat of deliberate sabotage while navigating the mysteries of the city and the growing complexities of their relationships.
One of the novel’s most appealing qualities is its fusion of artistic tension and emotional depth. Opera provides more than a backdrop; it creates a world shaped by creative ambition, collaboration, vulnerability, and the pursuit of something meaningful under pressure. The characters’ shared passion for their craft brings them together, while their individual challenges introduce questions of love, loss, grief, and the uncertainty of what lies ahead.
The setting in central Italy adds another compelling dimension. Perugia’s historic atmosphere and distinctive surroundings provide an evocative landscape for a story in which place and personal experience become closely connected. The impending premiere also gives the narrative a sense of urgency, balancing the intimate character dynamics with the suspense of a production that could be derailed.
For readers who appreciate literary fiction centered on the arts, complex relationships, and the emotional consequences of creative ambition, *Libretto* offers a richly layered premise. Wadsworth brings together the drama of the operatic world and the intricacies of human connection in a story that invites reflection on how art, love, and loss can shape our lives.
The narrative follows Allyn Crosbie, a journalist who travels to Italy to cover an opera production threatened with collapse. What begins as a straightforward assignment soon becomes a far more personal experience as she encounters Elaine Bishop, an inventive stage director determined to save the production, and Vincent Norrie, a composer facing a life-threatening illness while struggling to complete his first operatic score. Together, they must confront the threat of deliberate sabotage while navigating the mysteries of the city and the growing complexities of their relationships.
One of the novel’s most appealing qualities is its fusion of artistic tension and emotional depth. Opera provides more than a backdrop; it creates a world shaped by creative ambition, collaboration, vulnerability, and the pursuit of something meaningful under pressure. The characters’ shared passion for their craft brings them together, while their individual challenges introduce questions of love, loss, grief, and the uncertainty of what lies ahead.
The setting in central Italy adds another compelling dimension. Perugia’s historic atmosphere and distinctive surroundings provide an evocative landscape for a story in which place and personal experience become closely connected. The impending premiere also gives the narrative a sense of urgency, balancing the intimate character dynamics with the suspense of a production that could be derailed.
For readers who appreciate literary fiction centered on the arts, complex relationships, and the emotional consequences of creative ambition, *Libretto* offers a richly layered premise. Wadsworth brings together the drama of the operatic world and the intricacies of human connection in a story that invites reflection on how art, love, and loss can shape our lives.
August 28, 2024
I loved her first novel and had high hopes for this one as well, but it fell a little flat. The dialogue felt repetitive and the narrator was at times insufferable. The romance and the relationships between the characters was quite nice.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews