Sarah Dunant Archive

In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant

Posted September 28, 2009 By dorolerium

Rather than a tale of virtue and youth, Sarah Dunant brings us a journey of love and betrayal, prostitution and loyalty.

We meet our main characters, a courtesan called Fiammetta and her dwarf assistant Bucino in the height of their prowess in Rome.  But alas, the city falls to invading forces and these two are barely able to escape with their lives.  As we accompany them on their journey to Venice and watch as they are forced to start a new life, we are taken to a world the author has not shown us before.

I read Sarah Dunant’s books in half reverse order, her tales of convents and virtuous women coming before this one.  And perhaps that is why, as much as I did like this book, I did not fall in love with it as I did her others.  The tale is told from the perspective of Bucino, and he is charming enough, but he is not a lovely young lady.

The book tells most of the story between their downfall in Rome through their fortunes in Venice.  What I found myself really wanting was more of a history of Fiammetta, rather than the little bits of background we get through other means.  Because I feel that Sarah Dunant is so good at telling these things from the beginning, I wanted to see the roots of a courtesan life.  What is it like to be brought up by your own mother to service men until you are too old to continue doing so?  Does the courtesan ever wish for a different life, try to find a way out?

Yet, because I have read so much about marriages during this time period, it was very interesting to read a story of the semi-alternative.  All lives are run by men in this time period, but to an extent, the life of a courtesan seems a little more free.  Fiammetta is able to run her household basically as she wishes, and it’s refreshing to see that as much as she can, she makes her own fate.

I admire the author sticking to history as much as she can, and perhaps one of my favorite parts is her “Author’s Note” at the end.  It’s a nice tie-in between real life and the fiction she has spun for us.

On the whole, it is a good book and one I’m glad to have in my collection, for I will undoubtedly read it again.

Read this book if: If you’ve read other books by this author, I think you’ll like it, though perhaps not as much as The Birth of Venus.  Also, if you like tales of Italy in the 1500′s, this book will probably pique your interest.

*Original review published on Royal Reviews

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The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

Posted September 26, 2009 By dorolerium

Once again, Sarah Dunant spins a masterful tale of life long ago, starting in Florence in the 1480′s.  We enter the life of Alessandra Cecchi, a 14 year old girl who is sadly, too developed for her time.  She loves to learn, speaks multiple languages, has no talent for dancing, and above all, she loves art.

Alessandra has inherited her love of color from her father, a clothing merchant renowned for his vibrant cloths and she yearns for the secret of color.  While most young women learn to sew and prepare to be mothers, Alessandra sketches scenes from the bible and other images she can conjure up in her mind.  She yearns to explore the beautiful city she lives in, to feel what it must be like to be a man in a time of great change, both politically and culturally.

One evening, her father brings home a young painter, someone to paint the family chapel as well as commit them all to canvass for history to see.  A young man with great talent, someone Alessandra cannot avoid and hopes to learn from.  A man who will change her life.  Together they will question if God can be reached through art, or if art itself is a sin as the new fiery monk of the city proclaims it is.

As it becomes clear that Alessandra is close to womanhood, a choice must be made – enter a convent and never have the ability to explore her creativity, or let her parents find a husband who may understand her a bit.  She chooses the latter, a move that will affect her future, more than she could ever guess.

We go on this journey with Alessandra, through the rest of her life, the twists and turns and decisions she must make to create a life she has always wanted.  In the meantime, the city is exploding outside the walls of her home, and Alessandra is unable to explore the freedom she sought so hard…it is taken away as suddenly as it is given.

I never wanted to put this book down, and even though we do follow Alessandra through virtually her entire life, I am still yearning for more.  It’s a beautiful story, and although I disagreed with some of her decisions, I was compelled to continue on this journey with her.  I loved the book, and my only disappointment is that it ended too soon.

Read this book if: You like historical fiction, especially something set in Italy during the Renaissance.  It’s very interesting to me to see life during this time in a country other than England, and I’m glad I took the time to read it.  Sarah Dunant is a master of this era!

*Review originally posted on Royal Reviews

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Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant

Posted August 30, 2009 By dorolerium

Oh how this book made me want to cry, I was so wrapped up in the stories of Serafina, Zuana, Chiara, even Umiliana.  It amazes me when an author can write something like this, an experience they do not personally know, yet make it seem so authentic.  I fell in love with this book from the start, and have nothing but a glowing review to give it.

I have mentioned this several times, but I am always struck by the reminder of how awfully women have been treated throughout history.  It makes me feel blessed to live in the current era, to have missed the period in time when I would have either been forced into marriage or a convent, never given the opportunity to think for myself.

And I do still wonder what would have happened to a woman like me.  Am I so stubborn and independent minded because of my innate personality, or is it a product of the more free society I grew up in?  I don’t know if I would have allowed myself to be forced into one of those situations, or had the sense to play it to my advantage.  Or perhaps I would have rebelled and ended up on the block.  One quote showed me just how much I wouldn’t fit in:

The very purpose of convent life is to iron out the sense of the individual, to blend the one into the many…

That in itself shows me I couldn’t be a nun, I don’t think I have it in me to be forced into subservience.  And I abhor a blotting out of individuality, I used to dread it as a child when my younger sisters would try to emulate me because I so wanted all of us to have our own selves.

From the beginning, I admired Zuana’s patience with Serafina, her willingness to aid the girl in this sad time, and her recognition that convent life is not for everyone and can take some getting used to.  I was also very struck by this passage from the book:

In this prison, there are no fathers to bully or rage at the expensive uselessness of daughters, no brothers to tease and torment weaker sisters, no rutting drunken husbands poking constantly at tired or pious wives.

I had never thought of a convent as a sort of safe haven in this manner, but I’d also never thought about how awful the alternative arrangement could be.  This must have been a safe haven for many women, as it was mentioned in the book that women would go to the convent as an escape from their husbands, seeking solace and help from their sisters within.

Something else I found terribly sad is that because Serafina has a talent for singing, it is determined fairly early on that she could never be let out of the convent even though she is not a true believer.  She wants so badly the man she loves, and it is denied because of a decision her father made.  These decisions in themselves are curious to me, as the dowry paid to a convent would certainly be more than the one that would have had to be given up for the love she sought.

I have spent much time trying to decide which character I pity more, Serafina or Zuana.  Two women forced into this life they did not choose, were not brought up for, and having to make the best of it.  Both of them also so caught up in convent politics, without wanting to be, trying to wade through those waters and do what they can to survive.

After starting this book, I also discovered that I had already placed this authors other books on my TBR list, many months ago, without knowing much about any of them.  If the other books are as good as this one, I eagerly await the point where I get to them.

Read this book if: You have interest in historical fiction about convents, or even just a beautiful tale of a young girls life from when she is brought into a convent.  It really is quite a good book, and I encourage everyone to pick it up.

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