The New York Timesโbestselling author interweaves the destinies of Napoleonโs cook and an enigmatic Venetian woman in this โarresting, elegant novelโ (Publishers Weekly).
A faithful soldier of the Grande Armรฉe, Henri is given the honor of serving meals to Napoleon himself. After all, Henri is shortโand no one over five-foot-two ever serves the emperor. But when following his revered leader brings him to near-starvation in Russiaโs frozen winter, Henri is disillusioned and desperate for escape.
The web-footed daughter of a Venetian boatman, Villanelle has long been acquainted with the advantages of dishonesty. Trust hasnโt been her strong suit since her heart was stolenโliterallyโby a noblewoman she once loved.
Soon these two will meet their shared destiny in the chaotic carnival that is early 19th century Venice. In The Passion, Whitbread Award-winning author Jeanette Winterson delivers a โhistorical novel quite different from any otherโ (Vanity Fair).
โRecalls Garcรญa Mรกrquezย .ย .ย . Magical touches dance like highlights over the brilliance of this fairy tale about passion, gambling, madness, and androgynous ecstasy.โ โEdmund White