It's September 1906. Sophie Romano is 12 years old, standing with her parents waiting for the train that would take them on the first leg of a journey from Lucca, Italy to Derby, England. Her excitement belies the many tragedies that are about to affect her young life. The Romano brothers--her father, Alberto and uncle, Roberto--are experts in sericulture, the cultivation of silk. Alberto, a driven businessman, is bent on making Romano Silk a household name in Edwardian Britain; Roberto's passion is nurturing the silk worms on the Italian family farm.

The first, of many, tragedies that face Sophie upon her arrival in Britain, is the sudden death of her mother resulting in a close bond with her father as he grooms her to be his successor in the silk mill. British societies are scrambling to wear Romano silk, including King Edward VII, which is elevating the business to great heights. But all is not well, either in Italy or Britain. Disloyal foreman Sid Forester is inciting rebellion and threatening both Alberto and Sophie. The devious Monsieur Dubois, a competitor, is seeking the Romano secrets and an unexpected connection contrives to ruin the mill. Roberto's weaknesses, mismanagement and gangster connections bring Sophie and Alberto back to Lucca. Just 16 and in love, Sophie is teetering on the brink of an enormous tragedy that she may not survive.

Ruins in Silk is the prequel to The Blue Pendant, available here:
https: //www.amazon.ca/Blue-Pendant-Historical-Britain-Canada/dp/1987985605/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1462998346&sr=8-2-spell

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