The following version of this book was used in the creation of this study guide: One Great Lie. Caletti, Deb. Atheneum. 2021. Hardcover.

Charlotte Hodges searches for information on an obscure poet named Isabella when she sees a brochure to a writer’s workshop run by Charlotte’s writing hero Luca Bruni in Italy. She applies for the scholarship and is thrilled when she receives it. Determined to learn more about Isabella and propel her own career, Charlotte goes to Luca’s villa on the island La Calamita. There, she meets other students including her roommate Shayne, Avni, and Katerina. Everyone on the island is desperate for Luca’s approval and Charlotte thinks she needs to work harder to earn it.

Later during her research into Isabella’s life, Charlotte meets Dante and his mother, Maria. Dante is thrilled to help Charlotte with her work and the two fall in love over the course of the trip. During this time, Luca announces that he will be taking everyone on one-on-one trips to improve their writing. Avni is the first to go, but she seems much more closed off and hostile toward Luca when she returns. Eventually, Avni leaves claiming that she is sick and the others continue through the workshop as Luca turns his attention to Katerina.

As the trip continues, Charlotte begins to learn about the various women who were essentially locked up in covens because it was cheaper than marrying them off. This includes Isabella, but she, Dante, and his professor Dr. Ricci continued to search for proof that the famous poem, La Guerra, was actually written by Isabella and not Antonio Tasso who took credit. Eventually, Katerina becomes more withdrawn from the group and Shayne is more aggressive toward Charlotte, especially when Luca picks Charlotte as his next one-on-one.

After learning more about Isabella’s past, Luca takes Charlotte to a convent that is implied to be the one Isabella was put into. Once there, Luca kisses Charlotte and pushes her to sleep with him. Charlotte panics and runs, blaming herself for misunderstanding his intentions. She confides in Dante and Maria and decides she is going home without finishing her research on Isabella or the program. Katerina joins her after Charlotte walks in on Shayne sleeping with Luca and the two return to the States.

Over time, Charlotte learns that Luca assaulted both Katerina and Avni which is why they left. She thinks that he chose them because of their vulnerabilities and, once she learns there are more victims, decides to speak out. However, she and the others face extreme bullying and dismissiveness by Luca’s supporters, throwing all of them into terrible depression. However, Charlotte finds hope when Dante informs her that they found proof that Isabella had a child in the convent which likely makes her one of Charlotte’s ancestors. She returns to Venice and learns that Isabella is the one who wrote the famous poem, along with many others. It is not clear what happens to Charlotte after this discovery, but the narrator says she looks to the future in a world that has begun to change, but still needs to do more.