Keeping Her Safe

The Night Portrait by Laura Morelli is a fascinating dual timeline novel with its roots in reality. It is set in 1490’s Milan and 1940’s Poland and Germany. The link is Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait of a lady in ermine. Facts and fiction blend to produce a fabulous tale.

The action is told from several points of view in both the first and third person as the reader immerses themselves in two very different cultures.

The 1940’s follows an art historian employed by the Nazi regime to plunder artefacts from across occupied Europe. From 1944 we also follow an American soldier trying to trace these stolen artefacts to recover and return.

Laura Morelli has perfectly captured the period as we ‘feel’ the fear and ‘see’ the horror that is Dachau concentration camp.

I found the book a compelling read and can highly recommend it.

I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

JULIA WILSON