Celticlady's Reading Room

"To truly love another, you must follow the lover's path wherever it may take you"

The Lover's Path is the journey that a young woman takes in pursuit of love. The myths of Dante and Beatrice, Isis and Osiris, Tristan and Isolde, Orpheus and Eruydice and finally Eros and Psyche are the inspirations for this story about star crossed lovers. The story tells us about a young woman, Filamena Ziani, who is writing in her journal to her Patroness Felicita Lando.

The tale starts out with Filamena as a 16 year old who lives in Venice with her sister Tullia, a famed courtesan. Even though Tullia entertains numerous men and benefactor's, Filamena is shielded from this carnal love by Tullia. Filamena rarely goes outside of the palazzo and is very lonely. She is well educated, she can read and write in Italian and Latin, she has been tutored in music, which she became well known for later in her life. Because Filamena was so sheltered, she began to yearn for something more, she loved her music and gave many recitals but she started feeling like she was in a prison, which she kind of was. On one of the evenings, she was to sing for a cardinal, but was hidden in the musician's gallery. She meets a young man who gives her two gifts, one of them is a ripe plum and the other is an invitation to walk the lover's path.

She runs and he follows and he tells her the tale of the lover's path. Then he disappears but the next day a small gift arrives for her, it is a small book or journal that belonged to the young mans mother. In this book are the stories of Dante and Beatrice, along with tales of other couples. The book is supposed to take her on the lover's path. In the note he says that "to truly love another, you must follow the lover's path wherever it may take you." Along with this gift she learns that the young man is Angelo, the cardinal's illegitimate son.

There are 7 chapters in the book, Grace, Fortune, Desire, Deception, Awakening, Passion and Love and each chapter is preceded by gorgeous chapter page, and with various other artwork. Simply beautiful. The author explains in the back of the book that her artwork in the book was inspired by a visit to Italy. The book is influenced by so many different things, by Tullia d'Aragona, who was also a courtesan, letters from feminist Laura Cereta, art, architecture and books of the fifteenth and sixteenth century.

Does the story have a happy ending? I can't really tell you that but what I can tell you is The Lover's Path is a beautiful novella, filled with gorgeous pictures done by the author and a bit of a history lesson on the 16th century Italian Renaissance. Included in the back of the book, is a section about the Museo which is The Palazzo Filomela, named after the musician Filamena Ziani who lived there. In the museum, which I would love to see, is a series of fresco's that depict the stories of the seven mystic couples that I mentioned at the beginning of my review.

There is also a map depicting where in the palazzo the frescoes are located, a picture of the journal belonging to Filamena What a pleasure is was to read this book and learn the lover's path. I highly recommend this wonderful little book. I read it on the iPad but would love to see it in print.  

Among Kris Waldherr's works is Doomed Queens which is an awesome book also and The Book of Goddesses. She also created the Goddess Tarot. Ms.Waldherr's illustrations have been exhibited in galleries and museums. What an accomplished woman! It was my pleasure to read and review this phenomenal book and I was not monetarily compensated for my review. - See more at: http://www.celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/#sthash.vGd6x43b.dpuf