Status Updates From Valpolicella Violet: A Priv...

To help research Valpolicella Violet, someone suggested Michelle Lovric's "Carnevale" in 18th-century Venice. I got this far in the blurb before I bought it: “The young daughter of a Venetian merchant is taking a bath, drinking fragolino and eating chocolate cake, when…”

The rest of the sentence is also enticing: "...a cat appears and, to the sound of a lone violin, lures her into the gondola and arms of Casanova."

The plot of Valpolicella Violet has taken a scandalous turn! During my research, I discovered that Venetian nobility often forced their daughters into convents to avoid paying expensive dowries. These nuns drank wine and wore makeup, heels, and low-cut dresses within the convent—when they didn't sneak out to go to parties and meet their lovers. One of these lovers was Casanova, who happens to be in my book...