To Leeward

In a Rome that seems to exist in two worlds, one of glittering excavations, bustling trams and lingering incense, and another of ancient customs, aristocratic intrigue and quietly shifting morals, the novel sketches a city where every class lives side by side yet rarely meets. The author paints the streets, the courts and the future‑leaning government with a tone that hints at both charm and impending change, inviting listeners to imagine a metropolis on the brink of unexpected unity.

At the heart of this portrait is the Carantoni family. Marcantonio watches his sister, a striking woman of auburn hair and cool composure, navigate her marriage to the amiable French Vicomte de Charleroi. Their daily visits to the spacious palace boudoir reveal a mixture of familial affection, unspoken expectations, and the lingering question of whether love ever truly guided her choice.