reviews in Publishers Weekly, as well as a gold medal for historical fiction in the Florida Writers Association's Literary Palm Award. Her work has been featured internationally in blogs, journals, and websites.
Here McLaughlin dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Lost Dresses of Italy:
The theme of my novel, The Lost Dresses of Italy, is the “hidden woman,” which I think would translate well to a contemporary film; however, there are dual narrators, which can be challenging for a screen adaptation. The two women who harbor secrets are separated by a century, each one with her own compelling story: grieving widow, Marianne Baxter, who has traveled to post-WWII Verona, Italy, to assist with an exhibit of long-lost dresses; and Victorian poet, Christina Rossetti, who owned the garments and left them behind in a sealed-up trunk after an ill-fated love affair. Two women. Two losses. But how to portray them both on the big screen?Visit M. A. McLaughlin - Marty Ambrose's website.
Begin with Verona.
The “Painted City” of Romeo and Juliet combines both beauty and tragedy, light and shadow, hope and despair. It is the setting of both narratives, but framing the film with Marianne’s story in 1947, as Italy is recovering from the devastation of war sets the tone and mood of the central mystery of my novel. The re-building is moving forward, but lingering effects of families being torn apart by their wartime allegiances are just under the surface—in the manner of a Visconti film, the great Italian director who created sweeping cinematic portraits around Italy’s complex role in WWII. Marianne’s quest to find out what happened to Rossetti will create the main plotline and, as she examines each of the three dresses, a flashback will occur, exploring exactly what happened to Rossetti when she wore that particular garment on her trip to Italy. Each garment contains a clue that draws Marianne deeper and deeper into a century-old conspiracy, triggering a string of violent events. Eventually, both narratives will come together at a cliffside sanctuary, resolving the murder and betrayal from the past in a satisfying, though bittersweet ending.
Since Marianne would be the protagonist in the film, this character requires an actor with the kind of depth and power that Natalie Portman has displayed in her many films, especially The Black Swan and Jackie. Most notably, in the latter film, she portrays an actual historical figure, Jackie Kennedy, at a pivotal point in her life, days after her husband, President John Kennedy, was assassinated. Sad, grieving, and fearful of the future. Portman conveys all of these emotions in every gesture and facial expression, often with only internal dialogue. Similarly, Marianne is a widow who still misses her husband and is doubtful that she will ever be able to love again. Portman is delicate in appearance, but possesses an inner strength and resilience—both qualities that would make her a perfect choice Marianne.
To complement Portman’s Marianne, I projected Italian actor, Luca Argentero, for Alessandro, her love interest. Handsome yet slightly weathered, Argentero took on the role of Andrea Fanti in a very popular television series in Italy, Doc - Nelle tue mani, which aired during the country’s traumatic Covid lockdown. His character in the program embodies the spirit of sacrifice and compassion, a man who is both strong and empathetic—just like Alessandro who is the moral center of my novel. Still emotionally wounded from the war, Alessandro often appears abrupt outwardly but, inwardly, he is fiercely loyal to his younger brother. Like Fanti’s character of Doc, he is businesslike in his professional life but warm and caring in his personal devotion to those he loves, including Marianne. Argentero embodies this dichotomy in his many acting roles.
Lastly, I wanted to propose another Italian actor, Matilda De Angelis, to portray the poet, Christina Rossetti who, though born in England, was the daughter of an Italian revolutionary. De Angelis has a nineteenth-century sort of look with long, wavy hair and a heart-shaped face; in addition, her performance in Robbing Mussolini, shows the kind of range to inhabit this role. She depicts a woman who is passionate and artistic (she is a singer) but also caught up in larger historical events beyond her control, much like Rossetti. De Angelis would make Rossetti come alive in the flashback scenes.
With such amazing actors, my movie version of The Lost Dresses of Italy would be a sure hit!
My Book, The Movie: Forever Past.
The Page 69 Test: Forever Past.
Q&A with Marty Ambrose.
Writers Read: M. A. McLaughlin.
The Page 69 Test: The Lost Dresses of Italy.
--Marshal Zeringue
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