I had expected a mystery, but encountered a novel that wasn't sure what it wanted to be and much of the romantic and family story relating to Rebecca seemed unnecessary to the storyline. I am not certain how I could classify the novel since it crosses over into various categories - drama/mystery/romance.Īlthough it is a short book, only 231 pages, I struggled through this and took more time to finish than I should have. The story is told from the point of view of art history major Rebecca Howell, as she travels from Newfoundland to Italy to work on her PhD with the sculpture as her subject. Unveiled is a fictional imagining of the story behind the The Veiled Virgin, a sculpture by Italian artist Giovanni Strazza, and housed at the unlikely location of the Presentation Convent, St. Her journey becomes one of self-discovery as the Newfoundland-Italy connection deepens and the mystery about the model who posed for Giovanni Strazza unfolds. Rebecca’s search is a labour of love as it takes her across the majestic cities and countrysides of Italy-from Milan to Rome, from Florence to Vinci, and finally to Piedmont, where her answers await. Her research on Strazza and the Veiled Virgin will be the subject for her doctoral degree in art history. Rebecca travels to Italy to solve the mystery. She discovers that although the work is signed by Strazza, it is not listed with his other sculptures, and there are no existing documents for the sale of the work. Rebecca can’t help but wonder why in 1856 the Italian artist allowed such a brilliant example of his work to come to this remote island. Its existence is one of the best-kept secrets in North America. The sculpture was created in Italy in the mid-1800s but is housed at the Presentation Convent in St. In the twenty-first century, Rebecca Howell is transfixed by the beauty of Giovanni Strazza’s masterpiece the Veiled Virgin.

Unveiled by Carolyn Morgan