La Muta, "the mute woman." Amidst a country rocked by scandal and corruption, inhabitants of the idyllic city of Urbino, Italy, birthplace of Raphael, are more concerned with a sudden outbreak of miracles than with politics. But what unspeakable secret lies hidden in Raphael's enigmatic painting? Its restoration will drive a living mute to a shocking act of violence and spark an investigation into a nearly forgotten war crime and a series of events that will shatter the silence gripping this community forever.Both a mesmerizing thriller and a passionate exploration of the power of truth to effect reconciliation and restore faith, Waking Raphael spins a tantalizing web of silence and lies to recreate an Italy where the romantic and the violent, the comic and the tragic, are spellbindingly interwoven.From the Hardcover edition.
1993: in a country rocked by corruption trials involving government, big business and the Vatican, people in the idyllic small city of Urbino, Raphael's birthplace, appear more concerned with love affairs than politics, their only worry an outbreak of spurious miracles. Then Count Malaspino returns after years away and his support for the restoration of Raphael's La Muta ('the mute woman') drives a living mute to an act of violence that triggers ugly rumours.
Does this woman know something terrible about Malaspino's past? Did she witness a literally 'unspeakable' crime that could shatter the peace of Urbino? Her continued silence seems to be in everyone's interest except the gentle art restorer Charlotte Penton - and a television crew fronted by Donna Ricco, who can't shut up to save her life...or anyone else's. There are as many liars as 'mutes' in Waking Raphael...Charlotte's bitter divorce has left her incapable of expressing herself except through painting. Her assistant, Paolo, won't confess his infatuation to the glamorous Donna for fear of exposing his dangerous private schemes; Donna, in turn, lies about her feelings for him. Fabio's response to his fascist grandfather is to pose mutely as a statue of Raphael. Francesco, the ice-cream maker, knows it is suicide to speak out against Count Malaspino, who has always remained silent about his past - and present - life. But things cannot stay the same. The result is a case which involves Italy's foremost investigators of miracles, causes charges to be made to the Italian Committee for Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, turns Urbino into a circus of charlatans and gurus, and requires testimonies from several unlikely witnesses - two of them dead. Leslie Forbes' sensual novel intelligently and passionately evokes an Italy on the verge of a second renaissance while illustrating the often fatal, yet redemptive, consequences of telling the truth. £12.99 in UK only Born in Canada, Leslie Forbes has worked in London as a writer, artist and broadcaster for over 20 years. She is the author of four award-winning travel books, including the worldwide bestseller A Table in Tuscany (Italy's Barbi-Colombini prize for the best book on the food and culture of Italy), and the presenter of many celebrated BBC radio series, several based in Italy. Her first novel, the international bestseller Bombay Ice, was published in 1998 to huge acclaim, as was her second, Fish, Blood & Bone (nominated for the Orange prize). Weidenfeld & Nicolson The Orion Publishing Group Orion House 5 Upper St Martin's Lane London WC2H 9EA
