Hotel Portofino

“She wanted it to be perfect, even if perfection was a moving target.”

Bella puts so much work into the flower arrangements and fancy menus. It hurts to see her guests barely notice the effort she makes.

Cecil is just a nightmare of a husband. He spends money they don't have while Bella keeps the whole place running alone.

“Politics had a way of gate-crashing even the most private parties.”

The contrast between the sunny Italian coast and the rising shadow of Mussolini is chilling. You can feel the tension creeping into paradise.

“The war had left them all with a different kind of shell shock.”

Lucian carries so much damage from the Great War. He tries to paint his way out of the trauma but it stays under the surface.