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Eight Strings
An enthralling coming-of-age debut novel about a young woman in late 19th-century Venice who becomes a man to join the male-dominated world of the theater as a puppeteer—in the vein of Sarah Waters.
Ever since her grandfather introduced her to eight-string marionettes, Francesca has dreamed of performing from the rafters of Venice’s popular Minerva Theater. There’s just one problem: the profession is only open to men.
When her father arranges to sell her into marriage to pay off his gambling debts, Francesca flees her home. Masquerading as a male orphan named Franco, she secures an apprenticeship with the Minerva’s eccentric ensemble of puppeteers. Amid the elaborate set-pieces, the glittering limes, and the wooden marionettes, she finds a place where she belongs—and grows into the person she was always meant to be: Franco.
The past threatens to catch up with Franco when his childhood friend Annella reappears and recognizes him at the theater. Now a paid companion to an influential woman, Annella understands the lengths one must go to survive, and she promises to keep Franco’s secret. Desire sparks between them, and they find themselves playing a dangerous game against the most powerful figures of Venice’s underworld. With their lives—and the fate of the Minerva—hanging in the balance, Franco must discover who is pulling the strings before it’s too late.
Rich in historic detail and imbued with sharp social commentary, Eight Strings is a gorgeous, spellbinding debut that celebrates love, life, and art in all its forms.
Ever since her grandfather introduced her to eight-string marionettes, Francesca has dreamed of performing from the rafters of Venice’s popular Minerva Theater. There’s just one problem: the profession is only open to men.
When her father arranges to sell her into marriage to pay off his gambling debts, Francesca flees her home. Masquerading as a male orphan named Franco, she secures an apprenticeship with the Minerva’s eccentric ensemble of puppeteers. Amid the elaborate set-pieces, the glittering limes, and the wooden marionettes, she finds a place where she belongs—and grows into the person she was always meant to be: Franco.
The past threatens to catch up with Franco when his childhood friend Annella reappears and recognizes him at the theater. Now a paid companion to an influential woman, Annella understands the lengths one must go to survive, and she promises to keep Franco’s secret. Desire sparks between them, and they find themselves playing a dangerous game against the most powerful figures of Venice’s underworld. With their lives—and the fate of the Minerva—hanging in the balance, Franco must discover who is pulling the strings before it’s too late.
Rich in historic detail and imbued with sharp social commentary, Eight Strings is a gorgeous, spellbinding debut that celebrates love, life, and art in all its forms.
352 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2023
13 people are currently reading
1,546 people want to read
About the author
Margaret DeRosia
1Ìýbook37ÌýfollowersA former waitress, ballerina, bookseller and film publicist, Margaret DeRosia is a writer, editor and historian originally from Michigan. She received her BA in Comparative Literature from the University of Michigan and her PhD from the History of Consciousness Department at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Margaret has taught film history, literature and digital media studies at the Universities of California at Berkeley and Santa Cruz, Sonoma State University, the California College of Art, and Western University. Her debut novel, Eight Strings, was an instant bestseller in Canada, a work of historical fiction set in the glittering milieu of late nineteenth-century Venetian marionette theater (Simon & Schuster Canada, March 14, 2023). Currently, she resides in Toronto with her wife and two cats.
Photo: Dahlia Katz
Photo: Dahlia Katz
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
March 20, 2023
Read this one for a cover quote and loved it! Turn-of-the-century orphan Francesca escapes a brutal arranged marriage by donning breeches, taking the name Franco, and joining Venice’s male-only marionette theatre. Francesca blossoms into a new sense of self as Franco, finding love and purpose among the raucous puppeteers, but will everything be discovered when a dangerous plot embroils the theatre? Eight Strings wraps a nuanced discussion of identity and gender roles in a riotous, rollicking adventure of a tale.
February 5, 2022
This book is fantastic - think Sarah Waters plus puppetry in 19th century Venice. There's intrigue, romance, historical hijinx, and, above all, heart. That's my favourite thing in the world, after lattes.
Highly recommend it, and if this debut novel doesn't get serious award consideration this year, I'll eat my hat (and wash it down with aforementioned latte).
Highly recommend it, and if this debut novel doesn't get serious award consideration this year, I'll eat my hat (and wash it down with aforementioned latte).
April 17, 2023
A great debut!
I’m not sure how this book got under my radar, but I’m glad it did. Perhaps it was the cover that got my attention.
I was enthralled from the beginning, and I didn’t want to put it down.
I did wish that it was more descriptive, as I wanted to be transported to late 19th century Venice, but I was happy with its concept and development, and especially with the writing.
I could feel the author’s heart in this work.
I loved the characters and I thought that they were well rounded.
And I was glad that there was some intrigue in the story.
It touches the topic of gender identity without imposing or being the focus.
The conclusion was a bit tidy, but acceptable.
Yes, this was quite entertaining and I think that it would work great if adapted for the big screen.
The author’s “Notes to Readers� was quite interesting, so if you decide to give this book a chance, don’t miss it.
Paperback (Simon & Schuster): 352 pages
Ebook (Kobo): 290 pages (default), 89k words
I’m not sure how this book got under my radar, but I’m glad it did. Perhaps it was the cover that got my attention.
I was enthralled from the beginning, and I didn’t want to put it down.
I did wish that it was more descriptive, as I wanted to be transported to late 19th century Venice, but I was happy with its concept and development, and especially with the writing.
I could feel the author’s heart in this work.
I loved the characters and I thought that they were well rounded.
And I was glad that there was some intrigue in the story.
It touches the topic of gender identity without imposing or being the focus.
The conclusion was a bit tidy, but acceptable.
Yes, this was quite entertaining and I think that it would work great if adapted for the big screen.
The author’s “Notes to Readers� was quite interesting, so if you decide to give this book a chance, don’t miss it.
Paperback (Simon & Schuster): 352 pages
Ebook (Kobo): 290 pages (default), 89k words
March 17, 2023
A queer Venetian puppeteer
The story begins with our hero and first-person narrator Franco freezing outside the Minerva Theater, the premiere puppet theater of late nineteenth century Venice. Until yesterday Franco was a girl, Francesca, living in the bad part of town with her beloved grandfather and her not-at-all-beloved drunk and indebted father. She has just learned that her father has sold her to a local mafioso to pay off his debts. She was ostensibly sold into marriage, but in reality she is to be kidnapped into what amounts to prostitution. Thus Francesca, at the urging of her grandfather, becomes Franco. It works. Her grandfather tells her, "No one looks twice. You’re more yourself as a boy, not less. They think you’re one of them, Francesca."
Franco barges into the Minerva and demands to be taken on as an apprentice to Radillo, the owner and master puppeteer of the theater. Franco (as Francesca) was taught by his grandfather to use the eight-string puppets that Radillo made famous. As his grandfather told him,
Venice in 1896 is, as Margaret Derosia describes it, "an aging beauty past her prime, ... a once-powerful republic in decline". Its glory days long past, it is now just one city in the recently formed nation of Italy. It is a city that eats its children, especially its poor children. Derosia writes with a powerful sense of place. The reader is left with a visceral feel that the danger for Franco is real -- if he is discovered, he WILL die.
The evocation of the puppet theater is powerful. The best chapter in the book, in my opinion, is one describing a performance of in the Minerva. It is not just the puppets, but also the audience of children in the Pit shouting at the players what they think of the characters. This sense of puppet theater as dialog between the puppeteers and the audience in the Pit throughout the book is vivid and makes the theater come to life. A detail I was not previously aware of: when a character dies in a show, the puppeteer throws the holder and strings down on the stage, exposing the artifice of the puppet show, yet somehow making the death seem more real. It reminded me of a chess player knocking over the king to acknowledge the loss of a game.
The novel is followed by "A note to readers" that I quite enjoyed. It is more extensive than such notes generally are. In it Derosia describes the historical basis of the story and her understanding, as a self-described "queer lesbian", of Franco and his love story.
And this is a debut novel! Extraordinary.
I thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advance reader copy. This review expresses my honest opinions.
I read 236 books in 2022, and this was the best of them. Perhaps it could be your best book of this year.
.
The story begins with our hero and first-person narrator Franco freezing outside the Minerva Theater, the premiere puppet theater of late nineteenth century Venice. Until yesterday Franco was a girl, Francesca, living in the bad part of town with her beloved grandfather and her not-at-all-beloved drunk and indebted father. She has just learned that her father has sold her to a local mafioso to pay off his debts. She was ostensibly sold into marriage, but in reality she is to be kidnapped into what amounts to prostitution. Thus Francesca, at the urging of her grandfather, becomes Franco. It works. Her grandfather tells her, "No one looks twice. You’re more yourself as a boy, not less. They think you’re one of them, Francesca."
Franco barges into the Minerva and demands to be taken on as an apprentice to Radillo, the owner and master puppeteer of the theater. Franco (as Francesca) was taught by his grandfather to use the eight-string puppets that Radillo made famous. As his grandfather told him,
‘Eight strings are more complicated than those of the past. You can make puppets come to life with two or three, but that’s old-fashioned. With eight strings, people forget they’re watching wood. They’re seeing someone they know -- or if you’re really good, someone they’d want to know. Eight strings,� he’d say, ‘and you have a soul.�Then Annella, an old friend who knew Franco as Franscesca, shows up at the Minerva. She recognizes him and promises to keep his secret. (By the way, all these plot details are in the publisher's blurb, so I am not counting any of them as spoilers.) Franco and Annella become lovers. For the reader there is a constant feeling of life on a knife's edge. Will Annella betray Franco? Will he be discovered by someone else? It's a question of life and death.
Venice in 1896 is, as Margaret Derosia describes it, "an aging beauty past her prime, ... a once-powerful republic in decline". Its glory days long past, it is now just one city in the recently formed nation of Italy. It is a city that eats its children, especially its poor children. Derosia writes with a powerful sense of place. The reader is left with a visceral feel that the danger for Franco is real -- if he is discovered, he WILL die.
The evocation of the puppet theater is powerful. The best chapter in the book, in my opinion, is one describing a performance of in the Minerva. It is not just the puppets, but also the audience of children in the Pit shouting at the players what they think of the characters. This sense of puppet theater as dialog between the puppeteers and the audience in the Pit throughout the book is vivid and makes the theater come to life. A detail I was not previously aware of: when a character dies in a show, the puppeteer throws the holder and strings down on the stage, exposing the artifice of the puppet show, yet somehow making the death seem more real. It reminded me of a chess player knocking over the king to acknowledge the loss of a game.
The novel is followed by "A note to readers" that I quite enjoyed. It is more extensive than such notes generally are. In it Derosia describes the historical basis of the story and her understanding, as a self-described "queer lesbian", of Franco and his love story.
And this is a debut novel! Extraordinary.
I thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advance reader copy. This review expresses my honest opinions.
I read 236 books in 2022, and this was the best of them. Perhaps it could be your best book of this year.
.
June 13, 2023
* This book definitely wasn’t what I was expecting but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. It took awhile to get started for me but once it did I was absolutely enchanted and captivated by all the mystery and secrets! My main fascination with the book was the love story, I kept greedily turning the pages, hoping to find out more about their story. The rest of the story was interesting as well but those bits were definitely the shining star of the book for me. I think that’s why I loved the book but it didn’t absolutely knock me off my feet, I’m a sucker for a good love story and I wanted more!
*Thank You Simon Schuster Canada for the ARC, this in no way changes or affects my review.
*Thank You Simon Schuster Canada for the ARC, this in no way changes or affects my review.
January 11, 2023
What an enchanting read! There was so much to love about this book - the characters, the romance, the intrigue! I knew nothing about puppeteering and little about the time period before reading this book and DeRosia brings the reader into the world of 19th-century Venice in such a spectacular and engaging way. It was one of those books where I was sad to reach the final page and say goodbye to this world and these characters. Can’t wait to read more from this author!
April 11, 2023
Eight Strings is a page-turner: Franco emerges as a celebrity in the glittering world of turn-of-the-century Venice; using a growing mastery of the intricate eight string puppets, Franco hides in plain sight at the Minerva Theatre, while Annella and their lives and love are threatened.
May 23, 2023
What a neat plot for a book! I've never read a book based in this world... late 1800s Venice... marionettes and the theaters that housed them. There were so many themes in this book... gender issues... class divides. The characters were sweet and left you rooting for them through the book. Many of the pieces of this book, according to the authors note, are based on real people or places which adds to the authenticity you feel as you read!
April 22, 2023
I'm always up for a new look at history through fiction. If your experience with puppets and marionettes is limited to Team America, Thunderbirds & The Sound of Music, then prepare to be surprised and amazed. A gentle love story that explores everything from the mafia to sexual fluidity, with turn of the 20th century Venice as an evocative background...great stuff.
March 13, 2023
My review of this book will appear in Historical Novels Review issue 104 (May 2023)
Read
January 28, 2024I found Eight Strings to be an easy read. I love the world of theatre and the craft of puppeteering sounds like hard work with great rewards.
Butch feminism
Though Franco was born and raised a woman, circumstances led him to run away from his family home and realize his dream to be a puppeteer at the famous Minerva theatre. The skills he learned as a girl, sewing in particular came in handy and made him shine in the restoration department. I suspect women have a natural care for artifacts that may be harder to cultivate in men. What did you think of puppeteering being a profession for men only? From Franco’s discussion with Radillo, it sounded that women caused distractions for men and their place was preferred to be at home.
Franco feels more comfortable as a man than he ever did as Francesca. I loved the support he received from his grandfather in learning the craft and escaping his bad situation. He wouldn’t have been able to get into Minerva as an apprentice if he had shown up as a woman. I have never met a character like Franco before in fiction and this is another spot where reading the author’s note brought clarity to this representation. Butch feminism is a lesbian subculture that I did not know about and I appreciated learning about it through Franco.
Towards the end of the book, Franco’s capacity to do violence really surprised me. At the same time, at that point in the story, the people he loves are in danger. Eight Strings really tugged on heart’s strings at that point.
The World Building
Eight Strings is set in 1895. The world is done so well with equipment in theatres, use of lime for focusing on characters and the spareness of electricity. On top of that, society is divided into aristocrats and the general population. The presence of the pit in the theatres alludes to this segregation, posh comfortable seating for the rich while standing room for the rest. What do you think of world building? How does the status of women in society contribute to your understanding of the times?
Another part of the world building was the situation of orphans and foundlings. Kids abandoned by their parents and taken advantage of by the rich. Annella’s situation is a precarious one where she is hired to please Signora Constanza and is forced to do things against her values and comfort to continue to be in Constanza’s good books. What do you make of Annella’s character and storyline so far?
Annella’s sapphonic inclination was mentioned a few times in the book and I loved the chemistry between her and Franco. Towards the end of the book, Constanza says to Franco, “I read Annella’s nature when I first saw her. Yet she fell in love with you, a man? Hard to imagine, after the hell men put her through.� She herself has used Annella and yet she seems to put all the blame on men. She was very much the one-dimensional villain in this story with her minions to do the dirty work.
The Craftsmanship
One of the things I am really enjoying in this book is the characters� love for their crafts. Radillo and Carmine are good teachers and want to see Franco succeed and realize his potential. Annella’s expertise in sewing and Franco’s skill in mending the puppets is not going unnoticed. I like the atmosphere and camaraderie of the theatre. Seeing people around Franco growing to love and accept him was one of my favorite parts of this book.
Critique
What started off as a focused story about Franco ended up being a much grander plan than I sometimes found hard to follow. Franco and his past had seeped into his present, Tristano in particular. On top of that, everything came together very well and that seems unrealistic to me, especially how Franco could have been related to Radillo. It’s possible but I would have preferred it not to be the case haha.
Check out the on my blog. :) Have you read this book?
- Kriti, | Twitter | |
Butch feminism
Though Franco was born and raised a woman, circumstances led him to run away from his family home and realize his dream to be a puppeteer at the famous Minerva theatre. The skills he learned as a girl, sewing in particular came in handy and made him shine in the restoration department. I suspect women have a natural care for artifacts that may be harder to cultivate in men. What did you think of puppeteering being a profession for men only? From Franco’s discussion with Radillo, it sounded that women caused distractions for men and their place was preferred to be at home.
Franco feels more comfortable as a man than he ever did as Francesca. I loved the support he received from his grandfather in learning the craft and escaping his bad situation. He wouldn’t have been able to get into Minerva as an apprentice if he had shown up as a woman. I have never met a character like Franco before in fiction and this is another spot where reading the author’s note brought clarity to this representation. Butch feminism is a lesbian subculture that I did not know about and I appreciated learning about it through Franco.
Towards the end of the book, Franco’s capacity to do violence really surprised me. At the same time, at that point in the story, the people he loves are in danger. Eight Strings really tugged on heart’s strings at that point.
The World Building
Eight Strings is set in 1895. The world is done so well with equipment in theatres, use of lime for focusing on characters and the spareness of electricity. On top of that, society is divided into aristocrats and the general population. The presence of the pit in the theatres alludes to this segregation, posh comfortable seating for the rich while standing room for the rest. What do you think of world building? How does the status of women in society contribute to your understanding of the times?
Another part of the world building was the situation of orphans and foundlings. Kids abandoned by their parents and taken advantage of by the rich. Annella’s situation is a precarious one where she is hired to please Signora Constanza and is forced to do things against her values and comfort to continue to be in Constanza’s good books. What do you make of Annella’s character and storyline so far?
Annella’s sapphonic inclination was mentioned a few times in the book and I loved the chemistry between her and Franco. Towards the end of the book, Constanza says to Franco, “I read Annella’s nature when I first saw her. Yet she fell in love with you, a man? Hard to imagine, after the hell men put her through.� She herself has used Annella and yet she seems to put all the blame on men. She was very much the one-dimensional villain in this story with her minions to do the dirty work.
The Craftsmanship
One of the things I am really enjoying in this book is the characters� love for their crafts. Radillo and Carmine are good teachers and want to see Franco succeed and realize his potential. Annella’s expertise in sewing and Franco’s skill in mending the puppets is not going unnoticed. I like the atmosphere and camaraderie of the theatre. Seeing people around Franco growing to love and accept him was one of my favorite parts of this book.
Critique
What started off as a focused story about Franco ended up being a much grander plan than I sometimes found hard to follow. Franco and his past had seeped into his present, Tristano in particular. On top of that, everything came together very well and that seems unrealistic to me, especially how Franco could have been related to Radillo. It’s possible but I would have preferred it not to be the case haha.
Check out the on my blog. :) Have you read this book?
- Kriti, | Twitter | |
March 9, 2024
4.5 stars. This is a captivating coming-of-age debut novel about a young woman, Francesca, in late 19th-century Venice who dresses as a man, Franco, to join the male-dominated world of the theater as a puppeteer. She is fleeing her father who has arranged to sell her into marriage to pay off his debts. She successfully gets training with the Minerva Theatre’s eccentric ensemble of puppeteers. The story is rich in historic detail and filled with sharp social commentary � a fascinating debut that celebrates love, life, and art in all its forms. Desire sparks between Franco and Annella (her/his former childhood friend); the love relationship between the two women is delightful. Butch feminism is a lesbian subculture that I knew nothing about and I appreciated learning about it through Franco, and also learning about the society of the late 1800s in Venice. But they play a dangerous game against the most controlling figures of Venice’s underworld. The whole novel had an authenticity to it, which revealed itself at the very end. The love relationship between the two women is charming. The treatment of the foundlings (orphans) and homeless people is well documented. There were a number of plot twists and the ending was too tidy. However, the writing is rich, and I had a glimpse into different worlds, experiences and perspectives. A favourite quote: “Marionettes showed what it meant to be human; they revealed how there would always be others who hold and pull the strings.�
April 23, 2023
Nothing short of remarkable. I devoured “Eight Strings� for many reasons; because the narrative is so propulsive and suspenseful that I often found myself hungrily gorging on the magnificent prose, my eyes trying to take in more than I could in order to ensure my beloved characters were safe or better yet, one step ahead; because the characters, the theatre and the city all feel so real that I completely lost myself in this historical illusion, with DeRosia’s elegant writing creating a warm cocoon that sheltered and kept me from sensing the real world around me as I read; and always because, as a queer person who hardly ever truly sees myself in literature, felt as though someone had captured what it is like to exist on the fringes for so long and suddenly, through sheer force of will, step out into the light, both absorbing and shining at once. Franco is the queer hero I’ve always imagined, wanted to be, and never had. And now he’s here, ready to be picked up when I need him.
My heart ached when “Eight Strings� ended. We are left to imagine what comes next, and what I truly am manifesting is a second book in which we get to explore this world that’s been created - revived - in the light of the Adriatic that makes the final passages of this story truly glow.
My heart ached when “Eight Strings� ended. We are left to imagine what comes next, and what I truly am manifesting is a second book in which we get to explore this world that’s been created - revived - in the light of the Adriatic that makes the final passages of this story truly glow.
April 17, 2023
“Historical fiction . . . can conjure people, real and imagined, ordinary and extraordinary, from forgotten scenes of history . . .� So Margaret DeRosia writes in her author’s note at the end of this masterfully plotted, beautifully written and meticulously researched book.
This novel brings late 19th century Venice to life, and its skilled puppeteers, who breathed life into plays or operas, and were celebrities of the time. The best historical fiction illuminates contemporary themes—and at the end of Eight Strings, I was left charmed by and appreciative of marionettes and puppetry, especially DeRosia’s portrayal of the art as “politically subversive storytelling.�
When I was in Italy in 1983, I missed Venice (I’m still not sure why), and decided on a more recent trip, to avoid it because of crowds of tourists, but after reading Eight Strings I feel as though I’ve been immersed in the sounds and smells of the true Venice of old.
What a beautiful love story, fraught with conflict. What a talent.
This novel brings late 19th century Venice to life, and its skilled puppeteers, who breathed life into plays or operas, and were celebrities of the time. The best historical fiction illuminates contemporary themes—and at the end of Eight Strings, I was left charmed by and appreciative of marionettes and puppetry, especially DeRosia’s portrayal of the art as “politically subversive storytelling.�
When I was in Italy in 1983, I missed Venice (I’m still not sure why), and decided on a more recent trip, to avoid it because of crowds of tourists, but after reading Eight Strings I feel as though I’ve been immersed in the sounds and smells of the true Venice of old.
What a beautiful love story, fraught with conflict. What a talent.
Read
May 5, 2023A delight of a book set against the backdrop of Venice in the 1890s. Our hero, Franco (née Francesca), narrates the twisty-turny tale, which draws together the puppetry theatre, the complicated social and class mores of the time, and a sweet love-is-love story.
I met Margaret DeRosia when she was working in arts administration and was delighted to learn that she had written a novel. She's clearly done her homework, weaving Venice and the marionette theatre seamlessly into the plot. Franco and his love Annella are fully fleshed out, as are several other endearing characters (plus a dastardly villain or two). You'll need to keep your wits about you and you'll want to clear the time to read the book straight through if you can. Don't skip the author's note at the end, which details the back story.
I suspect I will be thinking about Franco and Annella for a long time and imagining how their lives turned out.
I met Margaret DeRosia when she was working in arts administration and was delighted to learn that she had written a novel. She's clearly done her homework, weaving Venice and the marionette theatre seamlessly into the plot. Franco and his love Annella are fully fleshed out, as are several other endearing characters (plus a dastardly villain or two). You'll need to keep your wits about you and you'll want to clear the time to read the book straight through if you can. Don't skip the author's note at the end, which details the back story.
I suspect I will be thinking about Franco and Annella for a long time and imagining how their lives turned out.
August 10, 2023
This is a lovely historical fiction title, one which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. The whole novel had an authenticity to it, which revealed itself at the very end - in the Author’s Note to Readers� and I was a fascinated by what she had to write there as I was by the novel itself.
This title addresses the same big issues around gender and society as does Fayne by Ann-Marie MacDonald, but this does so in much more reasonable timelines (as in it’s neither 700+ pages long nor 31 hours to listen to).
This is, however, also very reminiscent of The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke. Indeed, the whole time I was reading this I had that title in the back of my mind. While this was, clearly, not written intending to be a YA title, I think that it could work very well as a YA title.
Recommended read.
This title addresses the same big issues around gender and society as does Fayne by Ann-Marie MacDonald, but this does so in much more reasonable timelines (as in it’s neither 700+ pages long nor 31 hours to listen to).
This is, however, also very reminiscent of The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke. Indeed, the whole time I was reading this I had that title in the back of my mind. While this was, clearly, not written intending to be a YA title, I think that it could work very well as a YA title.
Recommended read.
October 19, 2023
Seventeen year old Francesca disguises herself as a boy named Franco, to join a theatre devoted to eight string marionette performances, when she finds out that her father has sold her into a marriage arrangement to pay off his debts. She reunites with a close childhood friend, Annella, who disappeared five years earlier, and is now a paid companion to an influential widow.
As the secret relationship between Franco and Annella develops, danger surrounds them with violence from the Italian underworld and risk of exposure. The treatment of the foundlings and homeless people are well documented. The love relationship between the two women is captivating. This book captures the reader's attention from start to finish.
As the secret relationship between Franco and Annella develops, danger surrounds them with violence from the Italian underworld and risk of exposure. The treatment of the foundlings and homeless people are well documented. The love relationship between the two women is captivating. This book captures the reader's attention from start to finish.
August 10, 2023
I loved the premise of this book, a marionette operator, and the setting, Venice. Francesca is a young girl who wants to make it on the stage. She leaves an abusive home, at the urging of her mentor, grandfather, who encourages her to adopt and dress as a male, since women are not allowed to be puppetteers. Her talent gets her in the door, but then she must remain living as a man, even when a chance occurrence with a childhood friend could blow her cover.
I thought I would like this book more than I did. I found the first half interesting but then ended up just skimming the rest. Unsure why it lost my interest. I did find some of the chance occurrences a bit hard to believe.
I thought I would like this book more than I did. I found the first half interesting but then ended up just skimming the rest. Unsure why it lost my interest. I did find some of the chance occurrences a bit hard to believe.
March 9, 2023
This was a riveting story set in Venice in the late 19th century, with surprising depth. A young woman runs away from being sold in marriage, disguises as a man, and gets a job working marionettes at a theatre. It is a story of forbidden love, survival, power and greed as well as having a significant LGBTQ2S component. It was wonderfully refreshing to read an historical fiction not set in WWII. I think the best historical fiction educates as well as entertains and this book excels at this. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance reading copy.
April 10, 2023
Picked this up, as a 'friend of a friend', not being sure what to expect. I was more than pleasantly surprised. What I loved most about it was the description of the marionettes and their movements. I can not imagine and yet I could visualize how the same movement of the puppet could convey different emotions. For me there was one too many characters or plot twists and the ending was too tidy (something I often experience). That being said, the writing is rich, I had a glimpse into different worlds, experiences and perspectives.
April 15, 2023
I loved this book so much! If I had to pick one historical fiction book as the absolute best it just might be this one. I loved the characters, the puppet theater, the love story and the perilous suspense that kept me hooked. I've seen this compared to Sarah Waters novels and it is definitely of that caliber and with similar themes. I will now purchase every forthcoming book from DeRosia with no questions asked. It was just that impressive.
February 17, 2025
I’m not going to lie. I thought this was going to be magical realism so when I found out it was literally about people in and about a puppet theater I had to shift my vibe. But I’m open minded. It was a nice story, though the ending completely changed the vibe again. But not in a bad way. Anyway, long story short I could not really get over the whole puppet thing.
December 31, 2022
Hope and heart imbue this gorgeous debut. I loved spending time with Franco and Annella in glittery Venice. Eight Strings is a mystery, a love story, and a nuanced coming-of-age tale that keeps the reader turning pages into the night.
March 22, 2023
A lively, engaging page turner that I tore through. So much fun! I feel like a took a trip to Venice and met the most amazing people who took me with them as they lived their adventurous lives. Love this book.
June 22, 2024
Had no idea what the book was about when I picked it up from a friend’s pile of books but so glad I did. Love Venice and didn’t know anything about puppets except for the childhood story of Pinocchio. Enjoyed the writing and the characters and what characters they were. Good against evil!
April 18, 2023
I'm half way through this book and it is fabulous!
May 17, 2023
“Marionettes showed what it meant to be human; they revealed how there would always be others who hold and pull the strings.�
June 16, 2023
Couldn't put it down!
July 6, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. Historical and queer af. Only taking a star off because as a first novel from the writer, there is some clunky sentences that felt cliche at times.
July 12, 2023
Really lovely.
Also, don’t skip the author’s “A Note to the Readers� at the end. Fascinating to read all the intention and research put into the book.
Also, don’t skip the author’s “A Note to the Readers� at the end. Fascinating to read all the intention and research put into the book.
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