John L'Heureux (1934–2019)

To begin, I was given a copy of this book for review. I was neither asked,nor encouraged to write a positive review.

Now, with housekeeping out of the way, I truly enjoyed this novel.

The Renaissance period is amazing..and this book is no exception.
We see the inner workings of the workshop of the great Donatello, through the eyes of Luca Matteo.
Luca is a young man who, himself, is fascinated by the great Donatello. He arrives at the workshop of the master via a convoluted path. We see his show more character grow and change throughout the novel. We see and feel his love, anger, feelings of betrayal and ultimately his horrific act of violence to protect the master Donatello.

We learn about the fine artisanship that occurs in the master's workshop. We meet several high placed renaissance individuals, including Cosimo de Medici and his arch enemy, the Albizzi's. We become embroiled in the political mess that was Renaissance Italy.

Mostly, this is a sad story about forbidden love.

We watch as Donatello creates his DAVID statue, while he himself, the mighty Goliath of this time is being brought to his knees by his love for the model of David.

I found myself feeling pity for the great master, as well as for Luca, the teller of the story.

While reading, I kept thinking Donatello IS the Medici Boy, but as I finished the novel, I realized the true identity of THE MEDICI BOY.

Heartbreaking, thought provoking, gut wrenching. This novel will affect you one way or another.

I give this book 5/5 stars and encourage anyone interested in art, or Renaissance Florence to read this well written book. You will not be disappointed. But...if you can't tolerate gore, skip over the part about the cat... show less

Every now and then I pick up a book and it captures me within just a few pages - The Medici Boy was one of those books. I started during a short afternoon break at work - a mistake since I really just wanted to sit in the sun and read once I started. The Medici Boy is historical fiction set in Renaissance Florence in the studio of the sculptor, Donatello. The book captures the essence of the Renaissance as I imagine it in my head - the writing of place is very vivid filled with all the show more beauty and brutality of the age.

Our hero, Luca, is devoted to Donatello and spends his time helping to keep the artist's business affairs in order. His journey to Florence is a long and strange one and that's fitting for Luca is a complex and stranger character conflicted in almost all ways about his life. Luca's past comes to haunt the book in the presence of Agnolo, a beautiful model and prostitute who disrupts the studio at every turn. Well-written and interesting, The Medici Boy is a good read, although I wish Donatello had a stronger presence in the book. The portrait of him in Vasari's The Lives of the Artists is still the one that resonates with me, but that didn't stop me from tearing through this book. show less

I read very few novels set in the Middle Ages and Renaissance because I have to keep fact checking. From all the mid-century historical novels, as a history major I became rather disgusted with the lack of authentic research.
This, however, is different. I was drawn to the 1400s in Florence as the Medicis fought to gain control of that city state. Luca, a long-time assistant to the great sculptor, Donatello, will risk anything to save his beloved master from the religious and civic forces. show more Florence had a reputation of sodomy and the punishment could be severe, up to being dragged through the streets and providing the masses with great entertainment as the sodomite was burned at the stake.
Luca, once tried the monastery, but was deemed unfit. Luca marries a prostitute whom he loves and bears him sons. But he worries about Donatello, worried about the unscrupulous but beautiful male model who is like a drug for the homosexual artist.
I found myself engrossed from the beginning of this moving and fascinating view of 15th century Florence. It struck me that had the Koch Brothers lived then, they would have just bought the whole city government instead of politicians. show less

After enjoying a couple other L'Heureux books over the years, I found The Medici Boy disappointing: the medieval setting worked, the guilt/sin threads worked, and I could feel the heat of the fires and summer sun. But the book plodded and I think that's largely because it felt a bit too inhabited by L'Heureux's research and the pouring of statues... to the detriment of the characters, who felt a little too empty. On the plus side: there is plague, a fascination of mine.