Fiction. A yearning for adventure, a desire for fulfilment, and the need to get on with life after an unsuccessful liaison lead Harriet Sackett to the village of Vitorchiano in the heart of the Italian countryside. The year is 1922. Her intention is to photograph and research Etruscan tombs on behalf of the Theosophical Society. Some months later Sarah, Harriet's friend since childhood, and her husband Stephen, Harriet's cousin, meet up with Harriet in Florence. Sarah becomes deeply worried about Harriet's welfare and on her return to London sends her housekeeper, Mrs Parsons to help out for a while. Almost immediately, an urgent telegram summons them back to Italy. Mrs. Parsons has arrived to find Harriet emaciated, on the point of collapse and unable to communicate. The atmosphere in the country cottage is deeply unsettling and the only clue to her condition is the discovery of a diary--a diary documenting a passionate relationship with the mysterious Federigo Del Re.
