Why a Booktrail?
1936: Fascism looms in Europe, and Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts are on the rise.
Rose and Renzo
What you need to know before your trail
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?
Locations
Reset- England - Manchester
- A: Ancoats
- B: Cheetham Hill
- C: Blossom St
- D: New Union St
- E: Jersey St/ Industrial Ancoats
- F: Little Italy
Travel Guide
Ancoats. Manchester England
Ancoats is an area of Manchester and is known as being the cradle of the Industrial Revolution. It has also been called the world’s first industrial suburb.
The area was known as being the hub of the factories and workhouses of the time. With a huge Irish population and many different trades. The area is also a well-known Little Italy and the area of Ancoats has a lot of lovely Italian restaurants. There is also a plaque which marks the Little Italy heritage.
Italy is mentioned but only in passing.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: Rose & Renzo
Destination/location: Manchester (Ancoats) Little Italy Author/guide: Carolyn O’Brien Departure Time: 1936
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