Heart Under Lock and Key

In August 1978, six-year-old Alice experienced a miracle, although she didn't realize it right away. An elegant, slightly eccentric artist named Irene, who had long ago moved from Sicily to Rome, appeared at the doorstep of her parents' home. A... brief conversation between the adult woman and the six-year-old girl changed both their lives.
Twelve years later, Alice learns that Irene, before her death, gave her a priceless gift — the opportunity to fulfill her childhood dream of becoming an actress — and sets off for Rome. The apartment where the ghosts of the past linger; a door long locked; amazing paintings that have been kept under lock and key for many years; a diary with a tale of happiness and tragedy... Alice takes on the investigation of Irene's mysterious love story — an artist who abandoned painting many years ago — and in her journey, she will find friends, have dangerous encounters, and possibly discover herself. In the end, a revelation will come to her that will turn her life upside down again.
The brilliant Turkish-Italian filmmaker ("Window Opposite," "The Presence of Magnificence," "Fasten Your Seatbelts"), author of critically acclaimed and beloved bestsellers, Ferzan Ozpetek has written an elegant novel about the demise of passion and the beginning of a new life. Here, the story of love turns into a detective tale. There will be missed opportunities and unexpected fortunes, happiness and a broken heart, mysteries and unforeseen revelations. But most of all, there will be hope.