Thus begins Sarah Dunantˇ¦s epic novel of life in sixteenth-century Renaissance Italy. Escaping the sack of Rome in 1527, with their stomachs churning on the jewels they have swallowed, the courtesan Fiammetta and her companion dwarf Bucino head for Venice, the shimmering city of East ˇV West trade: rich and rancid, pious and profitable, beautiful and squalid. With a mix of courage and cunning they infiltrate Venetian society. Together they make the perfect partnership: the sharp-witted dwarf and his vibrant mistress, trained from birth to charm, entertain and satisfy men. In the language of the time: an honest courtesan. But as their fortunes rise, this perfect partnership comes under threat.
This is a novel about the sins of pleasure and the pleasures of sin set in one of the worldˇ¦s greatest cities at its most potent moment in history.
