We had book club last night. We discussed the last book we read and then chose Signora da Vinci as our next read. This is the review that helped us decide that was the book we wanted to read…
“In this exquisite gem of a novel, Robin Maxwell conjures a fascinating account of Leonardo Da Vinci’s mother, a bold woman whose adventurous spirit and quest for her own truth captures the exuberance of the Italian Renaissance. Though little is known of the historical Caterina da Vinci, Maxwell’s impressive research and keen storytelling skills sweep us into a very plausible account of a young alchemist’s daughter whose unfortunate love affair brings her the greatest love of her life – her genius son – as well as the opportunity to escape the restrictions of her gender and enter a seductive garden of philosophy, art, learning, and danger. From the dusty streets of Vinci to the glories of Lorenzo Il Magnifico’s Florence and the conspiratorial halls of Rome and Milan, Signora da Vinci is a tour de force celebration of one woman’s unquenchable ardor for knowledge and of a secret world that historical fiction readers rarely see.â€
—C.W. Gortner, author of The Last Queen
