Hiding the Flame. Dieser Artikel ist nicht verfügbar.Hiding the Flame

Florence, 1497 — a city gripped by fear, fire, and faith.

As the Bonfires of the Vanities scorch priceless works of art, one woman discovers a love and a calling powerful enough to upend everything she knows.

Francesca Rosini has always lived carefully. As the dutiful wife of a respected merchant, she moves quietly through Florence’s dangerous new world, where a misplaced word or unguarded glance can destroy a family. But behind closed doors, she nurtures a secret gift - she is a painter of extraordinary talent, forced to hide her work in a time when beauty itself is condemned.

Her ordered life cracks when she meets Vittoria, a woman of intelligence, grace and quiet defiance. What begins as a friendship becomes a bond that awakens Francesca’s long-suppressed yearning for freedom, expression and self-possession. Vittoria sees her in a way no one ever has - not as a wife, a possession or an ornament, but as an artist, and as a woman capable of daring choices.

As political tensions rise and the fires burn hotter, Francesca faces an impossible choice:
protect the life she has always known - or risk everything for the truth of her heart.

Sweeping, atmospheric and emotionally charged, Hiding the Flame is a story of passion, loyalty, artistic courage and the devastating cost of silence in an age of repression.

Perfect for readers of Philippa Gregory, Geraldine Brooks, Sarah Dunant, Jessie Burton and Deborah Harkness, this is a richly told Renaissance tale of a woman who finds her voice on the edge of a city in flames.

Why US Readers Will Love This Novel

• A high-stakes historical romance set in one of the most dramatic moments in Florence’s history

• A heroine whose emotional journey mirrors those in Philippa Gregory’s strongest women-centred novels

• A powerful exploration of art, faith, loyalty and forbidden longing

• Stunning period detail reminiscent of The Birth of Venus, The Miniaturist, and People of the Book

• A story that blends romance, tension and emotional discovery with a painter’s-eye view of Renaissance life

Angela M. Sims writes literary historical fiction centered on silenced women, hidden identities and the intersection of art, emotion and social power. Her work is grounded in meticulous historical research and a deep interest in the lives erased by history's dominant narratives. Hiding the Flame is her most ambitious novel to date: a lyrical, emotionally charged exploration of queer love and courageous self-expression in Renaissance Florence.