Book summary

Raikes, a conservation expert, is trying to restore a beautiful and erotic sculpture of the Madonna, which also holds the key to the Fornarini family's secrets. He is swept under the statue's spell as well as that of the seductive Chiara Litsov, a member of the Fornarini family now married to a famous sculptor. The story moves between this present-day situation and the story of the sculpting of the Madonna by an obscure 15th century artist whose fate is also bound up with the Fornarinis. Set vividly in Venice, Barry Unsworth's novel is a suspenseful and fascinating look at art, love, history, and the intricacies of restoration.

Media reviews

"No brief synopsis could suggest the sinuous intricacy of 'Stone Virgin' or the adroitness with which Barry Unsworth manipulates the weighty mysteries of love, death, creation, faith, evil, and the lure of history."