Every Time We Say Goodbye
The bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls returns with a brilliant novel of love and art, of grief and memory, of confronting the past and facing the future.
In 1955, Vivien Lowry is facing the greatest challenge of her life. Her latest play, the only female-authored play on the London stage that season, has opened in the West End to rapturous applause from the audience. The reviewers, however, are not as impressed as the playgoers and their savage notices not only shut down the play but ruin Lowry's last chance for a dramatic career. With her future in London not looking bright, at the suggestion of her friend, Peggy Guggenheim, Vivien takes a job in as a script doctor on a major film shooting in Rome's Cinecitta Studios. There she finds a vibrant movie making scene filled with rising stars, acclaimed directors, and famous actors in a country that is torn between its past and its potentially bright future, between the liberation of the post-war cinema and the restrictions of the Catholic Church that permeates the very soul of Italy.
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"Fresh and intriguing." ―Booklist
"A breathtaking novel that unites the past and future." ―Westport Magazine "Incredibly moving." ―Historical Novel Society, Editor's Choice "The past echoes forward from a female assassin in WWII to the Italian cinema of the 1950s in this stunning novel about the impossible choices we make. Wise and wonderful, this is Jenner's best!" --Meg Waite Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Postmistress of Paris "A wonderful novel full of charm, wit, and style." --Dominic Smith, author of The Last Painting of Sara De Vos "Every once in a while, a story comes along that really grips you and inspires you to contemplate the choices we're all given... An absolute page-turner." --Eliza Knight, author of The Mayfair Bookshop "Compelling and fascinating! Every Time We Say Goodbye has the magic of a time traveler that enables the reader to live the very rich and complex lives of its characters." --Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, author of The Mountains Sing "Every Time We Say Goodbye welcomes back beloved characters from Jenner's previous novels along with a new fascinating cast in Italy for the production of post-war films. Well-researched and written in a perfect blend of harrowing and heartwarming, this is another fabulous Natalie Jenner novel that historical fiction fans will adore!" --Madeline Martin, NYT bestselling author of The Librarian Spy "A heartbreaking, engrossing, and thoroughly dazzling work of art." --Nina de Gramont, New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Christie Affair "Natalie Jenner is at her historical fiction best with Every Time We Say Goodbye. Brava!" --Lisa Barr, New York Times bestselling author of Woman on Fire "Quite simply Jenner's best." --Janet Skeslien Charles, New York Times bestselling author of The Library Card and The Paris Library "Jenner triumphs once again." --Lynda Cohen Loigman, bestselling author of Two-Family House, The Wartime Sisters and The Matchmaker's Gift "This intricately textured novel showcases Jenner's exceptional talent. Every Time We Say Goodbye is the kind of historical fiction that transports readers into the past while being remarkably relevant to the world we live in today." --Kim Fay, author of the National Bestselling Love & Saffron "A marvel, a tale rooted in history yet filled with the twists and turns of a thriller. Destined to join the canon of evocative WWII fiction, this novel is not to be missed." --Stephanie Wrobel, internationally bestselling author of Darling Rose Gold and This Might Hurt "Brave and searing, with characters that stay with you long after the final page, Every Time We Say Goodbye is Natalie Jenner at her brilliant best." --Jennifer Rosner, award-winning author of The Yellow Bird Sings and Once We Were Home "Truly divine." --Rachel Beanland, author of Florence Adler Swims Forever and The House is on Fire "Jenner's latest novel cements her status as a master storyteller, her complex characters and meticulous research bringing to life a story of redemption, love, and living up to the choices we make." --Bryn Turnbull, internationally bestselling author of The Woman Before Wallis and The Last Grand Duchess "What a glorious, sweeping novel--an amazing accomplishment. Cinematic in scope, Every Time We Say Goodbye is a bittersweet reminder of the reverberations of war, as well as an ode to cinema as an art form that preserves history, reflects the best and worst of humanity, and helps us heal." --Julie Gerstenblatt, author of Daughters of Nantucket "Vivien was my favourite character in Bloomsbury Girls, and I was excited to continue following this ambitious, intriguing woman's story in another historic and immersive setting. In Every Time We Say Goodbye, Jenner captures the dazzling geography, ambiance and complex post-war culture of 1950s Italy so thoroughly, you'll be packing your bags for Rome before the end of the third chapter. A delight!" --Heather Marshall, #1 bestselling author of Looking for Jane "An ambitious and thoroughly entertaining novel about love and resilience in post-war Italy. First-rate storytelling, coupled with beautifully rendered characters, including irresistible cameos by Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, and Ava Gardner. It's a knockout!" --Bill Gaythwaite, author of Underburn