Miss Garnet’s Angel
Miss Garnet’s Angel
by Salley Vickers
The book contains two stories running in parallel, linked by the Angel Raphael. In one, Julia Garnet comes to Venice and gradually transforms from a lonely spinster, to become a sociable retired lady. The transformation is brought about by her growing love of Venice and its art, and her friendship with a variety of people, a young boy, twins, an older man and an American couple. The character of Julia was clearly written, with flashes of humour.
The second story is about the journey of Tobias and the Archangel Raphael, from the Book of Tobit, part of the Apocrypha. Some found this story intriguing, others found it intrusive.
Most felt the book evoked a deep love of Venice, and the ending showed a concern about its flood risk. The audio version was not recommended.
An enjoyable read score 7/10.