Death, tragedy, abuse, addiction, and mental illness are all woven into the tapestry of this novel with a Gothic feel...as well as a reminder that escape and the promise of new adventure can, at times, have something more sinister lurking underneath.
Life has been non-stop this year, making it harder for me to carve out "me time" (aka reading time), but I did find that once I picked this one up, I didn't want to put it down. Depth, intrigue, and a plot that, while giving clues and glimpses at its outcome, didn't reveal itself too early.
With an eye towards the kitchen, there was all sorts of inspiration to be pulled from the pages (a good part of the novel does take place in Tuscany...and isn't that inspiration enough?). But there were two things that seemed to jump out at me above all else—Limoncello and Bolognese.
Since Castillo Barbarossa was the source of all the lemons in town, it also yields a fine Limoncello, which is mentioned several times throughout. But since I've shared how to make Limoncello before, I decided to go with another thing mentioned a couple of times, Sauce Bolognese.
I picked up Natasha's plate of pasta and emptied it over James's head. Tendrils of spaghetti dripped down the sides of his face, brown meat in his hair and an audible squelch as a pat of it landed in his YSL-suited lap.
The Silent Fountain
author: Victoria Foxpublisher: MIRA (October 31, 2017)
genre: Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Gothic
paperback: 400 pages
"foodie" read: No, but a good amount of inspiration in the pages - we're back in Tuscany! (I seem to read a lot of novels set in Tuscany..or at least Italy.)
opening sentence: It was always the same dream, and every time she saw it coming.
teaser: Hollywood, 1978
Tragedy sends troubled film star Vivien Lockhart into the arms of Giovanni Moretti—and it seems her fortunes have finally changed. Until she meets his sister and learns that her new husband’s past holds dark secrets…
Tuscany, Present day
Lucy Whittaker needs to disappear. But her new home, the crumbling Castillo Barbarossa, is far from the secluded paradise it seemed. Strange sounds come from the attic. The owner of the house will never meet her in person.
The fountain in the courtyard is silent—but has never run dry.
Across the decades, Vivien and Lucy find themselves trapped in the idyllic Italian villa.
And if they are ever to truly escape its walls, they must first unearth its secrets…
about the author: Victoria Fox is a bestselling author in the UK. She used to work in publishing and is now the author of six novels. The Silent Fountain is her breakout novel in North America. She divides her time between Bristol and London.
connect with the author: facebook | twitter
recipe inspired by the book: Spaghetti Bolognese
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Yield: serves 8 (~1 quart sauce)
Spaghetti Bolognese
prep time: 15 MINScook time: 3 hour and 15 MINStotal time: 3 hours and 30 mins
A slow-cooked meat-based pasta sauce recipe.
ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) salted butter, divided
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 large stalks celery,chopped
- 2-3 medium-large carrots,chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound ground beef 85/15
- 1 pound ground pork
- kosher or sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
To serve:
- 1 pound uncooked spaghetti
- freshly grated Parmesan
- chopped fresh parsley, basil, oregano (one or a mix)
instructions:
- Put the olive oil and 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) of the butter in a large pot set over medium heat. When hot, add the onion; cook and stir until the onion has become translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add celery, carrot, garlic, and bay leaves; cook for ~2 minutes, stirring vegetables to coat.
- Add ground meats, a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir and crumble meat with a fork or spoon until no longer raw, ~5 minutes.
- Add the milk and let it simmer gently, stirring often, until it has mostly evaporated. Add wine and nutmeg; let it simmer until mostly evaporated again, then add the tomatoes, squishing them between your fingers as you add them, and any juices; stir until all ingredients are well combined. (If neither seem to be evaporating after 5 minutes of vigorous bubbling, go ahead and move on to next step. It'll eventually evaporate during the 3 hour cooking process.)
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered for at least 3 hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce looks like it's getting too dry during the cooking process, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water, as needed to keep it saucy enough (mine is usually fine until the very end, then I stir in a enough pasta cooking water to make it loose, but still thick). Discard bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain and toss with sauce and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter immediately. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and herbs.
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