The Woman in Red

June 22, 2020
Giovinazzo’s captivating debut tells the story of Anna Garibaldi, the magnetic Brazilian woman who married Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi. In Brazil, 1835, 14-year-old Anna de Jesus is forced to marry Manoel Duarte. After several years of marriage, she leaves him and moves back to her mother’s home. When Giuseppe Garibaldi arrives in Brazil to lead men in battle against imperial forces, Anna meets him at a friend’s house, whose husband works in the government. She is immediately smitten, and her mother’s disdain for their affair leads Anna to join Giuseppe as he leaves the country. Though she is technically still married to Manoel, she and Giuseppe are married by a priest and live as man and wife in Uruguay. The couple travels to Italy, where Giuseppe fights to unify the country. Anna’s determination to follow him into battle never falters even when she is pregnant and endures danger to travel to his camp upon learning he is ill. Giovinazzo adds realistic details to the fast-paced narrative. The novel’s focus on a strong woman who defied the odds to follow her heart will appeal to fans of historical fiction. Agent: Johanna Castillo, Writers House.