I don't know how I could have missed this book, from 1 of my favorite authors. It was an engaging read.
Per "The Aeneid", Lavinia was the daughter of the Latinus, king of the Latins. After stays in Sicily, Carthage, and Sicily again, Aeneas shows up to settle in the area that would later become Rome. Latinus receives a prophecy that his daughter will marry a foreigner, rather than the nephew of his wife, Lavinia's mother, who happens to have gone mad at the death of their son.
The story is told from many temporal vantage points, including a mysterious poet who comes to Lavinia in a dream.
There was good detail of life in those times, including on the religious practices of the time, with household gods and sacrifices. And, who knew that "pagan" comes from the latin "pagus", which is the smallest area of land that could be owned - a lot or a homestead.
There is lots of violence as the locals oppose the immigrants. Aeneas appears to go berzerker in battle & feels bad about it afterwards.
Interesting that the role & justification for nobility was that they were also the priests who intermediated between the common folk and the gods. Nice work if you can get it, I guess.
A very interesting read, with a lot of heart.
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