Casanova's Secret Wife

June 26, 2017
Lynn-Davis’s debut novel is based on the real-life story of Giacomo Casanova, who fell in love with and secretly married a 14-year-old in 18th-century Venice. Twenty years after their initial meeting, Abbess Marina Morosini asks Caterina Capreta to take in Leda, a pregnant unwed 16-year-old who was dropped off at the convent by her father. Caterina feels obligated to agree because of the secret she and Marina share from when Caterina was sent to the convent years ago, a secret that is revealed in flashbacks as Caterina shares her past with Leda. Caterina chronicles her past love affair with Casanova, with whom she falls in love when she is only 14. To keep them from seeing each other, Caterina’s father sends her to a convent. There she meets Marina, a young nun who initially appears to be her friend. Yet as Caterina tells her tale, it becomes clear that it is one of jealousy and deception. Lynn-Davis admirably incorporates historical detail into this page-turning drama of mystery, love, and loss. Yet the standout is her depiction of Casanova—Lynn-Davis clearly enjoys crafting a real-life character who stands apart from the legend, making him the book’s most enduring character.