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In the Garden of Monsters

A Novel

ebook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
A Goodreads Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Book of Fall 2024
"A sinister romance and hypnotic Gothic fairytale—surreal and luscious with a fascinating twist on the story of Hades and Persephone." —Jennifer Saint, bestselling author of Ariadne
A woman with no past. A man who seems to know her. And a monstrous garden that could be the border between their worlds...
Italy, 1948
Julia Lombardi is a mystery even to herself. The beautiful model can't remember where she's from, where she's been or how she came to live in Rome. When she receives an offer to accompany celebrated eccentric artist Salvador Dalí to the Sacro Bosco—Italy's Garden of Monsters—as his muse, she's strangely compelled to accept. It could be a chance to unlock the truth about her past...
Shrouded in shadow, the garden full of giant statues that sometimes seem alive is far from welcoming. Still, from the moment of their arrival at the palazzo, Julia is inexplicably drawn to their darkly enigmatic host, Ignazio. He's alluring yet terrifying—and he seems to know her.
Posing for Dalí as the goddess Persephone, Julia finds the work to be perplexing, particularly as Dalí descends deeper into his fanaticism. To him, she is Persephone, and he insists she must eat pomegranate seeds to rejoin her king.
Between Dalí's fevered persistence, Ignazio's uncanny familiarity and the agonizing whispered warnings that echo through the garden, Julia is soon on the verge of unraveling. And she begins to wonder if she's truly the mythical queen of the Underworld...
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    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 8, 2024
      With this inventive spin on the Hades and Persephone myth, King (Feast of Sorrow) takes readers to Italy’s Sacro Bosco, the eponymous garden, in 1948. Amnesiac Julia Lombardi makes a living as an artist model while studying to be a painter. When an opportunity to sit for Salvador Dalí arises, Julia jumps at it, eager to witness a master at work. The gig takes her to Palazzo Orsini in Bomarzo, where the mysterious Ignazio hosts her and the dismissive, misogynistic Dalí. Julia is simultaneously drawn to and repelled by Ignazio, and he is equally obsessed with her. As painting sessions begin in the Sacro Bosco, Julia experiences strange things: the garden’s many monster statues appear to move, there’s a green glow in the woods at night, and visions of ghosts haunt her. All the while, Dalí refers to her as Proserpina, the subject she’s portraying in his painting, and tempts her with pomegranate seeds. While the core of the myth remains the same, King makes the familiar tale feel fresh with her unusual and enthralling setting, which eerily blurs the real and the surreal. This is an exciting reinterpretation. Agent: Amaryah Orenstein, Go Literary.

    • Library Journal

      August 23, 2024

      In 1948 Italy, model and artist Julia is hired by Salvador Dal� to serve as his muse for one week. Modeling as Proserpina (Persephone), she finds herself drawn into the surreal, haunting atmosphere of the Sacro Bosco, Italy's Garden of Monsters, where she poses all over the shadowy, statue-filled property. Julia is both intrigued and repulsed as she begins to hear voices warning her to flee and then encounters their enigmatic host, Ignazio, who knows her better than she knows herself. Statues seem to move, spontaneous earthquakes shake the table, and Dal� is desperate for Julia to eat pomegranate seeds like the goddess she's embodying. King's (The Chef's Secret) eerie third outing is full of history and art, feelings of d�j� vu and dread, and secrets and references to Greek and Roman myth. Julia is at the center of it all, drawn in and repelled by her host, the Dal� couple, and various other members of their group. All is not as it seems at the palazzo, and Julia's ties to Proserpina may be closer than she'd ever dreamed. VERDICT An atmospheric, slow-burning gothic story that will appeal to patient readers who enjoy strong settings and the surreal.--Katie Lawrence

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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