A war between right-wing politics and the underground world of the gypsies is brewing in picturesque Sicily, leaving dancer Marlena to fend for herself in the middle The sky is a bloody gold and there are riots in the streets the night that Marlena, a damaged girl with a head full of secrets, arrives in Sicily. She's come here to dance--or rather, to strip--at Mickey's, a down-and-out dive bar on the rough edges of Catania. But things don't always go according to plan. After a heart-stopping encounter with Jula--whose secret pride is his Romany blood--at the local club transforms Marlena's life, things begin to quickly spiral out of her control. As she's drawn into a chilling relationship with bad boy Paulo and his psychotic friends, Marlena is caught in the crossfire of anti-gypsy fury and right-wing politics and left struggling to survive in a world she can't fully understand. A sultry story about personal choice, love and loss, "Blood Tender" is an excellent read, with real authenticity and a compelling plot.