Books like Bitter greens by Kate Forsyth

In Renaissance Venice, a small act of theft—an innocent parcel of parsley—sets off a chain of violence that endangers a young widow, Margherita, and her child. Threatened with the loss of her hands, she must confront the city’s ruthless power structures to protect her family. Meanwhile, the world revolves around the enigmatic courtesan Selena Leonelli, the famed red‑haired muse of the great artist Tiziano. First painted by him in 1512, Selena continues to inspire his work as he approaches the end of his life. Her presence anchors a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal, love and superstition, as the city’s elite navigate shifting alliances and hidden scandals. Locked away in a tower, Margherita’s song becomes a silent plea for rescue, and a young man’s arrival offers a glimmer of hope amid the peril.

First publish date: 2014