{"product_id":"hiding-the-flame-9781739185794","title":"Hiding the Flame","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHiding the Flame\u003c\/em\u003e is a richly atmospheric historical novel set in \u003cstrong\u003eFlorence, 1497\u003c\/strong\u003e, during Girolamo Savonarola's religious revolution and the infamous \u003cstrong\u003eBonfires of the Vanities\u003c\/strong\u003e. At the heart of the story is \u003cstrong\u003eFrancesca Rosini\u003c\/strong\u003e, a talented but silenced painter whose life is defined by obedience, secrecy and fear.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarried to a rigidly devout merchant, Francesca hides her artistry in small sketches and washed-out pigments kept behind locked drawers. Her world changes when she meets \u003cstrong\u003eVittoria\u003c\/strong\u003e, a merchant's wife with an independent spirit and a compassionate, knowing gaze. What begins as friendship blooms into something far more dangerous: a forbidden relationship that awakens Francesca's passion for art, truth and selfhood.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs Florence's political climate grows increasingly volatile, the crackdown on \u003cstrong\u003e\"sinful\"\u003c\/strong\u003e expression intensifies. Paintings are burned, books are destroyed and women are expected to remain silent and dutiful. Francesca must decide whether to continue living in hiding, or risk everything to follow the calling she can no longer ignore.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExploring themes of \u003cstrong\u003equeer identity, female agency, artistic resistance, religious repression\u003c\/strong\u003e and the personal cost of courage, \u003cem\u003eHiding the Flame\u003c\/em\u003e offers a moving portrayal of love in an era where such emotions were condemned. The novel will appeal to readers of \u003cstrong\u003eSarah Waters, Emma Donoghue, Jessie Burton, Sue Monk Kidd\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eKiran Millwood Hargrave \u003c\/strong\u003e- particularly those who seek lyrical, emotionally resonant historical fiction with LGBTQ+ representation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith its evocative setting, compelling character dynamics and nuanced exploration of secrecy and self-expression, \u003cem\u003eHiding the Flame\u003c\/em\u003e stands as a powerful depiction of the risks faced by women - and queer women especially - during one of Europe's most turbulent cultural shifts.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Angela M. Sims","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":52152044781851,"sku":"9781739185794","price":25.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0723\/8392\/2459\/files\/img_68bb51ae-1fa5-49fb-a968-4c73dbc1daa8.jpg?v=1777742916","url":"https:\/\/sapphicsociety.com\/en-ca\/products\/hiding-the-flame-9781739185794","provider":"Sapphic Society","version":"1.0","type":"link"}