Some stories are part of a grand narrative.
Collected here are several short stories from the acclaim.
These are the Varnished Faces .
Like the Venetian Carnivale masks, they are hardened, often grotesque, always mischievous.
At their heart of these stories are the false Faces people wear to hide their true selves.
Taken together, these pieces form a tapestry of life, love, and longing in early Renaissance Italy.
Some are small, insular, intimate, yet no less deserving to be told.
Some stories are part of a grand narrative