The Birth Of Venus By Sarah Dunant

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant is a story of art and passion in 15th century Italy.

Florence under the Medici family was a city rich in art, culture and luxury. Alessandra grew up in this world of beauty and affluence, but at fifteen, she had never had the freedom to enjoy it. As the daughter of a wealthy cloth merchant, her purity had to be under close guard until she was safely wed. That meant being cloistered in her family's palazzo, and never going anywhere without a chaperone. But finding a husband for tall, awkward, and outspoken Alessandra was a challenge. In a world where women were taught to be hostesses and homemakers, her intelligence and gift for drawing made her freakish and undesirable. When her father brings home a young artist to decorate their chapel walls, Alessandra becomes entranced by his talent, and intrigued by his quiet intensity.

Soon enough her parents have married her off to a much older man, but the freedom that she expects as a married woman is cut short by the rise of the fundamentalist monk Savonarola. Florence becomes a city full of fear and hellfire, where no one is safe, even from their own secrets, and Alessandra must decide whether to risk exploring her own passions, both of the spirit and of the flesh...

This is a vibrant choice for those who enjoy art and historical fiction along the lines of Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Meet The Author!
Sarah Dunant will read from her new book, Sacred Hearts, at the Bellevue Regional Library on Tuesday, July 21 at 7pm.