I could not put this one down and I don't even know why. Alessandra is plucky without being too modern-thinking, she follows her heart without agonizing for pages and pages, I found her very honest. I never saw the twist of her marriage coming, which is hard to do when you've read as much as I have. All-in-all, a surprising and very well put together walk through a very interesting life. ( )

Did it go anywhere? Not really. Was it supposed to? I suppose not. ( )

Not quite a bodice-ripper as it implies, but it does have a few twists and turns that make it worth the read. ( )

Dunant masterfully blends fact and fiction, seamlessly interweaving Florentine history with the coming-of-age story of a spirited 14-year-old girl. As Florence struggles in Savonarola's grip, a serial killer stalks the streets, the French invaders creep closer, and young Alessandra Cecchi must surrender her "childish" dreams and navigate her way into womanhood. She seeks the freedom of marriage in order to paint, but finds that she may have bought her liberty at the cost of love and true fulfillment.

"The Birth of Venus" isn't based on the Botticelli masterpiece that still resides in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. It's based on the metaphorical "birth" -- and transformation -- of a girl-turned-woman whose single-mindedness is constantly thwarted by actions which force her to conform to 15th century Florentine society.

Alessandra's story, though central, is only one part of this multi-faceted and complex historical novel. Dunant paints a fascinating array of women onto her dark canvas, each representing the various fates of early Renaissance women: Alessandra's lovely (if simple) sister Plautilla is interested only in marrying rich and presiding over a household; the brave Erila, Alessandra's North African servant (and willing accomplice) has such a frank understanding of the limitations of her sex that she often escapes them; and Signora Cecchi, Alessandra's beautiful but weary mother tries to encourage yet temper the passions of her wayward daughter.

The novel moves to its climax as Savonarola's reign draws to a bloody close, with the final few chapters describing Alessandra's fate and hinting at the identity of her artist lover.

Book Details:

Title The Birth of Venus
Author Sarah Dunant
Reviewed By Purplycookie ( )

Sarah Dunant's "The Birth of Venus" takes place in Savonarola's Florence, and our heroine loves learning, is conversant with the classics, and lives amidst the making of some of the greatest art in history.

This story is told mainly in flashback, but we lead off with the death of an aged nun. When the nun's body is prepared for burial, the shocked sisters find an ornate snake tattoo on her abdomen, the head of which is unmistakably at her private parts. In this woman's past, she is forced into a convent in newly-pious and reactionary Florence under Savonarola. The story encompasses this crucible, and is populated by less-than-stellar male characters. (There are enough men in it, so that if you took the best character of each of them, you might construct one satisfactory man.) This book covers the epochal moments in our heroine's life, from her meeting and relationship with Michelangelo, to her entering the nunnery to escape persecution.

This is yet another indictment of Church-as-State, and just another chapter in the story of why the separation is so necessary. It is also a very vivid book, well-told, and a highlight of my 2006 reading year. It deserves most of its accolades. ( )