ANNA RASCHE is an author, gemologist, and historian who previously worked in the jewelry collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her debut novel, The Stone Witch of Florence, was an October 2024 Indie Next pick, and was recommended by the Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, BookRiot and many others. Her writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, CrimeReads, and elsewhere.
1348 Florence Italy…
Amid the ashes of the Black Plague and fear, Ginevra di Gasparo returns from exile with not just a scarred past, but a luminous collection of gems she can channel into healing. Rooted in the author’s real-world expertise (she worked in the jewelry collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art) and rich research into medieval lapidaries, every stone in Ginevra’s trove—amber, coral, bloodstone, emerald—carries lore, power, and danger. When holy relics go missing from Florence’s churches, she must use her jeweled knowledge to track down the thief and restore what’s lost, while proving that a woman steeped in healing can also embody the precision of a physician. If she succeeds, her reputation will soar, but if she fails, those same stones might mark her as witch, outcast, even target…
For Fans of Sarah Penner’s The Lost Apothecary, and Ken Follett’s World Without End- 14th century Florence…a healer who uses the natural power of gemstones is summoned to Florence after nearly a decade of lonely exile to assist in the healing as The Black Plague ravages Italy…
Enjoy a piece of Italy while hearing about this novel set in Florence Italy, and a delicious Italian meal served by Caffe Piccolo.
Date: Friday, December 5th, 2025
Location: Caffe Piccolo- 9428 Ocean Hwy Pawleys Island, SC 29585
Time: 10:45AM-1:00PM
Your ticket includes an author presentation, meet & greet, personalized book signing, salad, a delicious lunch, dessert, beverages, complimentary seating, table service, private dining, and the opportunity to purchase the event book.
Refund Policy- Thank you for signing up for an event at Litchfield Books! Cards will be charged upon time of ticket purchase. We will refund your ticket, excluding our merchant banker convenience fee and credit card reversal fee. Cancellations are accepted up until seven days prior to the event date. If the cancellation is past the seven days you will not be offered a refund but you will be offered the signed copy of the event book.