Santa Montefiore - The Gypsy Madonna

Review written by Maggie Perkovic and read live on the bookshow 7th May 2015
This is a first time author for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Mischa Fontaine a man in his late forties has just lost his mother.Before
her death she gave away a Titian painting "The Gypsy Madonna". This is
a beutiful painting which depicts the Blaesed Virgin as a dusky looking
maiden holding a son with both looking deep in thought. He is upset at
his mother's death from cancer and also cannot understand about her
bequeathing the painting to The Metropolitan Gallery, having no knowledge
of her owning the painting. As the story goes back in time we learn of his unhappy
childhood, son of a German Officer born during the Occupation of France,
he and his mother are ostracised by the village after peace is declared and
both suffer terribly at the hands of the villagers and the local priest. Into this
melee comes a saviour, "Coyote", an American who takes him and his
mother back to America where they live a happy and successful life until
one day their "saviour" deserts them, and they never see him again.
When the story follows Mischa as he is now, you find many unexplained
happenings which has made him the man he is now. It all leads to a satisfactory
conclusion and I recommend this book unreservedly!!
Maggie Perkovic.