Talking Location With … Rob Starr: SOUTH AFRICA
Historical novel set in HOLLYWOOD and NAPLES
26th September 2024
The Traitor’s Wife by Sarah Steele, historical novel set in Hollywood and Naples
War-time Naples clashes with the glitz of Hollywood
The Traitor’s Wife by Sarah Steele, is an intriguing historical novel that seamlessly weaves together two timelines, one set in the glittering world of 1960s Hollywood and the other in the devastated city of Naples during World War II. This dual narrative is an engaging blend of love, betrayal and the haunting after-effects of war, all tied together by one woman’s search for the truth about what really happened during the Four Days of Naples battle and the role played by the elusive Maddelena.
The story alternates between the stories of Hollywood star Lola Hart and Neapolitan local Luisa Giodarno. Twenty years after the end of WW2, Lola, who herself has come a long way from the backstreets of Naples, is offered a role in a new movie – playing Luisa.
Lola is at first apprehensive about the role as it means returning to her home in Naples and confronting the ghosts of the past, including her first love and the baby she was forced to give up. But as she delves into Luisa’s past, and the many other heroines of the Italian Resistance, she realises she is not the only one with secrets.
The Naples setting is particularly vivid, with Steele skilfully capturing the city’s wartime turmoil alongside its enduring beauty. The author brings to life the city’s narrow streets, decaying palazzos and its resilient people who survive through the toughest of times. In many ways, the city itself is as much a character in the novel as the people who inhabit it.
Hollywood in the 1960s serves as a compelling backdrop for the secondary narrative, where Lola seeks to make a serious name for herself in the film industry. Steele portrays the film industry as glamorous but also rife with its own set of challenges for women, particularly during the ‘60s.
The characters are well developed, particularly Luisa, whose inner struggles and complex relationships drive the plot. Her love affair with a resistance fighter, and her involvement in dangerous espionage activities, add a sense of suspense and drama to the narrative. Lola brings her own vulnerability to the story as she pieces together the puzzle of Luisa’s life, uncovering her husband’s betrayal as he tries to profit from her bravery.
While the novel is richly detailed and atmospheric, there are times where the pace slows, particularly in Lola’s chapters. The role of her fiancé, the narcissistic Johnny, also seems almost irrelevant to the overall story. However, the two narratives come together in a satisfying and emotional conclusion, tying the storylines together in a way that feels both surprising but also inevitable.
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