Weekly Reader: Dreaming Sophia by Melissa Muldoon; Muldoon's Work Is A Love Letter To Italy Itself And The Various Creative Souls That Lived There

 

Weekly Reader: Dreaming Sophia by Melissa Muldoon; Muldoon's Work Is A Love Letter To Italy Itself And The Various Creative Souls That Lived There

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Melissa Muldoon's Dreaming Sophia is the first of her Italy series, written in 2016. In some ways, it sets the stage for many of the books: a modern woman is drawn to Italy by a mysterious figure, a woman from Italy's Renaissance past and there is a connection between them. An outsider of the series is The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola in that it tells of Anguissola's life with no detours into the present.

Another outsider is Dreaming Sophia. It carries the familiar trope of the modern woman meeting important historical figures from the past' but unlike Eternally Artemisia and Waking Isabella, Dreaming Sophia doesn't stop at just one brilliant figure. Instead Muldoon gives us several that appear before our protagonist to help guide her on her path to embrace a home in Italy.

Sophia, a young woman, is left alone and devastated after the deaths of her parents in a plane crash. Her mother studied in Italy in the 1960's even taking part in rescuing art and architecture from an approaching flood. She became one of Florence's Mud Angels. Also Sophia's mother's passion for Italian cinema like Federico Fellini, Marcello Mastroiani, and the breathtakingly lovely Sophia Loren caused her to name her daughter after the film actress. 

Sophia's father, a lawyer, also was fascinated by the country. He nicknamed his daughter, "Bella," Italian for beautiful. He bought property in Sonoma, California because he and his wife were fascinated by the Tuscan style architecture. The two transferred their love of the country so that after their deaths, Sophia holds onto that dream as a way to keep their memory alive.

At first Sophia takes small steps in her dream of living in Italy. She studies the language in university and becomes reacquainted with classic literature like The Divine Comedy. After a time of indecision and sadness, Sophia hears a voice encouraging her to dream. She knows to follow her dream and move to Italy.

During her life in Italy, Sophia receives assistance from various figures. Unlike the other books, she is inspired by several: Eleanora De Medici, Lorenzo "Il Magnifico" de Medici, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo Da Vinci , Lucrezia Borgia, General Giuseppe Garibaldi, Venus, Signor Brunelleschi, Casanova, and La Loren herself. It seems the spirit world all has their sights on this young woman and wants to guide her through all aspects of Italy, its history, its art, its architecture, it's mythology, and its entertainment. They give Sophia the whole picture of the country that she feels a close connection to, a place that she can call home.

The spiritual visits are magical and inspiring but also provide some humor. Sophia gets so used to them that when she visits Rome, she is surprised when she doesn't run into Caravaggio. 

A very metafictional moment involves the glamorous Sophia Loren, both as a spirit and a real woman. When Sophia encounters her in spirit form, she is her younger self when she starred in various films like Two Women and Marriage Italian Style. However, in a later chapter she sees the glamorous actress in the flesh and how she looks currently. (No word on what Loren herself thought of Muldoon inserting her into the book via a strange magical realism, age regression and progression.)

The book isn't as plot heavy as the other three. Sophia studies painting and obtains a rival. She falls in love with Lorenzo, a descendant of the Medici family. Most of the book explores Sophia living in Italy, getting to know every street and city, becoming familiar with the customs, and feeling a sense of belonging. She stays with a family that is very affectionate and curious about her. She begins to see them as a substitute family in absence of her parents. 

One of the best scenes involves her visiting a masquerade ball in Venice. The elaborate costumes, the somewhat sinister masks, the canals give a sense of mystery,magic, and intrigue especially when she encounters a various flirtation man who calls himself Casanova (of course considering her track record of meeting various figures, he might actually be the famous lover and spy.)

What stands out in Dreaming Sophia,, actually in all of Muldoon's books, is the setting. Italy becomes a character itself as the various people and places are lovingly detailed. They show Italy as a place of beauty and passion. For the protagonists in the books, Italy is a home.