Historical novel set around ENGLAND (Birmingham)
Historical novel set in VERSAILLES and VENICE
28th October 2025
Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth, historical novel set in Versailles and Venice.
Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth is a magical blend of historical novel, romantic (not to say erotic) fiction and fantasy. This unique formula is deftly and lightly handled with two timelines, set almost one hundred years apart. The characterisation is brilliant and makes for an engaging read. The blurb refers to the Rapunzel fairy tale but this is very much a novel for adults. It deals with themes of belonging, self-worth and the need to be loved. Each of the three main characters is a strong woman and they use their wits to survive tragedy and oppression.
The novel is set in Versailles (the court of King Louis XIV in 17th century) and Venice (in the early 16thcentury) for the most part and each location is described in wonderful detail. The author calls on all our senses to recreate the atmosphere of the times, from stinking prisons to elegantly perfumed pomanders, and from soaring mountains to glittering chandeliers. She uses the settings to describe the mood of the tale at the time: the oppression of the cloistered French convent with the gloom and chill of its cold stone walls which contrasts with the bright sunshine that dances on the Venetian lagoon in happy times and also brings relief to the prisoner who looks out of the window of the tall tower near the Italian lakes.
The principal characters of the story are Charlotte-Rose, Margherita and Selena Leonelli, though other important figures accompany them throughout. Each is displaced from their natural home; Charlotte-Rose is a writer and collector of stories (a real historical figure) who is banished from the French court to a convent. Margherita is a young child who is sold by her Venetian parents: they had unwittingly agreed to exchange their child for the titular handful of bitter greens. Selena Leonelli’s fortunes also change drastically, and she is forced to become a courtesan in Venice and also the muse of the painter, Titian. As an accomplished storyteller, Charlotte-Rose narrates her own tale, as does Selena Leonelli, while Margherita’s story is relayed to Charlotte-Rose by one of the nuns in the convent.
For a long while I was mystified by the assertion in the blurb that this novel was a fairy tale and related to the Rapunzel story. For me, it began more as a historical novel, although with references to witchcraft (in keeping with some of the more extreme obsessions of the times, such as the Salem witch trials). At that time, the line between what is religious faith and what is magic was in dispute and it could be a death sentence to be found on the wrong side of that line. The author introduces the idea of magic so cleverly that it seems perfectly matter of fact. As someone who doesn’t usually choose fantasy fiction, I found that I was so engaged with the characters and their fortunes that I was quite happy to be led away from the strictly factual and possible to the realm of the unlikely and frankly impossible.
What I wanted was for Charlotte-Rose to resume her comfortable life where she would be one of the foremost female writers, for Margherita to be reunited with her loving parents and for Selena Leonelli to find the peace that she deserved.
I have found it very difficult to review the book without offering too many spoilers. I hope this conveys my enthusiasm for it. You can confidently read and enjoy it whether you’re a fan of fantasy or not: it is a long and deeply satisfying tale.
Sue for the TripFiction Team
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