This tale is set against the turbulent backdrop of late 15th century Florence.
Through the eyes of Lisa di Antonio Gherardini Giocondo, we meet the Medici, Sandro Botticelli, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, feast on the Florentine Renaissance and then experience the puritanical turbulence of Girolamo Savanarola (including the Bonfire of the Vanities).
The story itself, though, is an intricate tale of Lisa's life complete with elements of love, high drama, betrayal and loss.
'People kill and die because they cannot control their emotions'
Whether you read this novel as pure fiction or would like it to be plausible explanation, enjoy the story. While I read it as escapist fiction, I enjoyed the writing and became caught up in the possibilities explored.
Recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
