Elizabeth Buchan

Lottie, newly married and navigating a whirlwind of change, takes up a position as a chief archivist in Rome. Her assignment seems straightforward at first: to catalog the papers of the late Nina Lawrence, a garden designer with a fascination for reviving Rome’s historic gardens. However, as Lottie delves deeper into Nina’s life through notebooks and clippings, the task becomes anything but ordinary. What starts as a professional obligation transforms into a journey of personal and historical discovery, where parallels between Lottie and Nina’s lives emerge in ways that are both uncanny and unsettling.

Through Nina’s lens, we are transported to Rome in the 1970s, a time of political turmoil and societal upheaval. As Lottie uncovers secrets from the past, her present becomes more complicated. Her marriage, initially a source of stability, begins to show cracks, forcing her to confront uncomfortable truths about her husband and her own choices.

Buchan’s writing is a love letter to Rome itself. The vivid descriptions of its gardens—imagined and real—are enchanting, and the historical backdrop adds depth to the narrative. For me, the Borghese Gardens came alive as a setting, their beauty providing a stark contrast to the shadowy truths Lottie uncovers.

What truly captivated me, however, was the way Buchan entwined the personal with the political. Lottie’s journey is not just about unraveling Nina’s story but also about exploring her own identity and place in a world that is as volatile as the archives she’s tasked with preserving.

Two Women in Rome is a tale of secrets, resilience, and the eternal pull of a city steeped in history and mystery. It’s a story for those who love complex characters, rich settings, and narratives that linger long after the last page. And if you’re anything like me, you might find yourself diving into some research on Italy’s 1970s political landscape—a testament to Buchan’s ability to weave historical depth into her fiction.

If you’ve ever dreamed of Rome, of its gardens, its secrets, or its history, this book will transport you there. Highly recommended!