Hello, Marianna! (#1)

I'm so glad you enjoyed CRY FOR PASSION (Il Grido Della Passione).  As I wrote earlier, I felt that it was very important to capture all the feelings of the people with whom Rose was close:  parents, siblings, friends, shopkeepers. . . .  Because, after all, her actions affected their lives, too.  Didn't you hate the two villains who captured Rose?  Grrr. . . .  Yet at the time, they were not breaking the law.  So while techonology hasn't changed that much, fortunately in the western world the law has changed.  Because of what happened to one woman, abducted by her husband in the late Victorian era.  It was amazing writing this book and seeing history - and law - in action!

As to your questions. . . .  I thought about an epilog, but really, at the end of the book I think we know all that we needed to know:  Jack finally found the courage to put his career on the line for a woman:  And he won Rose's freedom!  Also at the end, Rose finds the courage to end once and for all her ties with Jonathon.  Also, while Jack and Rose do end up together, they can not marry.  The changes to the law allowing them to do so didn't occur until several years later.  I wanted to stick to history, so I ended it with them together rather than having them get married and riding off into the sunset.  And I believe - for the time - that was enough for them, being together.  I assure you, as soon as the law allowed them to marry, they did.  *smile*

I've been asked that question before:  Why did Rose keep saying she loved her husband? . . .  The answer:  Because she did.  She loved the perfect innocence that had been their love.  She loved the fantasy, the socially-accepted, pain-free love of a young man and a young woman who had yet to face diversity.  You're right, her love for Jack was real, based upon flesh, sweat and tears.  But. . . .  She caused pain to those she loved, simply by loving Jack, because she was a married woman in a time when divorce shamed not only the woman, but her family as well.  Her love for Jack was a selfish love - in the fact that it made her happy but no one else - and Rose was not a selfish woman.  So it was a part of her that she was clinging to as well, the part of her that didn't want to cause anyone else pain, the part of her that wanted to bask in, well, innocent, pain-free love without trials and tribulations.

Hmmm. . . .  I hope that answers your question?

Grazie,

Robin Schone