Product details
- ISBN 9781917005975
- Dimensions: 129 x 198mm
- Publication Date: 14 May 2026
- Publisher: Northodox Press
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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Manchester 1936
Fascism looms in Europe, and Oswald Mosley's Blackshirts are on the rise.
After the death of their father, two sisters arrive in Manchester's vibrant 'Little Italy': creative misfit, Rose, and her much older sister, Ivy. Fearing Rose's impulsiveness, Ivy seeks to control Rose, forcing her to give up her cherished place at art school.
Frustrated and desperate to pursue her passion, Rose meets Renzo, a painter arrived from Europe. Their connection is instant and powerful. Yet as their feelings deepen, Renzo's past in Mussolini's Italy remains a mystery.
As Blackshirts march across the city, Rose is drawn to the fight against fascism, even as she's compelled to face the devastating question: just which side is Renzo on?
Carolyn O'Brien is a historical fiction writer from Manchester. Her writing has a strong sense of the north-west of England and its radical past, as illustrated in her first novel The Song of Peterloo and Rose & Renzo.
The Song of Peterloo was published in 2019 to coincide with the Peterloo Massacre bicentenary commemorations. It was well reviewed and continues to be used as a teaching resource in schools and adult learning programmes.
Carolyn
loved writing from an early age and read English at Cambridge
University before qualifying as a solicitor. Prior to publication of her
first novel, Carolyn enjoyed several successes with short stories
including the Rome Short Story competition which she won and a
shortlisting for the Bridport Prize, as well as publication on-line and
in numerous
anthologies and magazines.
She continues to live near Manchester with her family.
Carolyn can be found on Twitter/X/Instagram/Threads as @carolynmanc
Carolyn is represented at Jenny Brown Associates by Lisa Highton.
