The Amalfi Curse

Mari DeLuca is the main character of the novel’s 19th-century timeline. The 20-year-old is described as a remarkably beautiful young woman with a “sharp, sloped nose,” “high cheekbones” (253), and hair “the rich, deep hue of blood” (14). Red hair is rare among the Italian population, and all Positano’s sea witches inherit their hair color as well as their magic from their siren ancestors. The particularly vibrant hue of Mari’s hair offers a visible sign that she is the village’s most powerful witch, which is why she is “the sanctioned leader of the eleven other women. The forewoman, the teacher, the decision-maker” (15). For over a decade, she diligently fulfills these leadership responsibilities even though she is burdened by loneliness and grief.

Her mother’s absence and her younger sister’s death weigh heavily on Mari, causing her to secretly despise the sea and her maritime magic. Throughout the novel, she struggles with the inner conflict between her desire to flee her unhappy life in Positano and her loyalty to her fellow witches. Mari’s fierce determination to defend her community leads to many of the story’s tensest moments, such as when she kills Massimo for kidnapping Lia and when she sinks the ship carrying her lover to keep Matteo from capturing more witches.