Primavera (Hardcover)

by Mary Jane Beaufrand (Author)
Key Phrases: fratello mio, narrow man, Signor Botticelli, Captain Umberto, Father Alberto (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Beaufrand interweaves rich details of Renaissance culture." (Booklist )

"A welcome stepping stone for fans of Karen Cushman...who are on the road to popular "painting novels" for adults." (School Library Journal )

"Renaissance Florence comes alive in the pages of this novel...[Primavera] has an air of authenticity with a historically accurate portrayal of this period...an especially engaging, vibrant reading experience." (Library Media Connection ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description
The Italian Renaissance was a cultural explosion of art, architecture and learning, but it had a darker side. Two powerful families, the tyrannical Medici and their biggest rivals, the Pazzi, are tangled in a bloody struggle for ultimate power. Caught in the whirlwind is Flora, the last daughter of the Pazzi. As her beautiful older sister is being painted by the famed artist Botticelli, Flora is dreading her fate. Destined for life in a convent, Flora is determined to take matters into her own hands, even as her world crumbles around her. When Flora decides runs away, she has no idea that the decision will save her life. As her family falls to their murderous enemy, Flora must find a new life and a new identity.

Inspired by actual events, Primavera is a dazzling coming of age story set during a time of beauty and wealth, ambition, rivalry and brutality. Historical art references to Boticelli and his famous painting, Primavera, give this book an appeal similar to Girl with a Pearl Earring.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (March 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316016446
• ISBN-13: 978-0316016445
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,052,388 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Primavera, March 22, 2008

A Kid's Review

Primavera is a thrilling book that is written with such detail and emotion it is amazing that it is fictional. One is immediately transferred to the time of the Renaissance at the beginning of chapter 1, and is put into the place of the main character, Flora. The conflict surrounds the Medici family and how they mistreat others, even families of their own similar ranking. Primavera deals with love, hope, loss, fear, friendship, joy, and guilt. This book is a captivating read, and I would recommend it to anyone in 6th grade and up. I am a voracious reader in 7th grade, and I loved this book, and even though it has some quite detailed violent scenes, it is still appropriate. Primavera is fast paced and there aren't any slow parts. This book is also available on Kindle; however I would buy the real book due to the fact that the cover is so beautifully drawn with hidden depth.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Primavera, March 20, 2008

By	Barbara J. Close - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was a lovely story for young adults and well written. It's obvious the writer has done considerable research. I hope she has many more books of this quality coming.

This was certainly a 5 star book for young adults. As a former ESL tutor I would recommend this book highly.

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, February 19, 2008

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

The Italian Renaissance brings to mind beautiful images, paintings and sculptures, glorious and expensive brocades, string quartets in the garden; a rich texture of life indeed. But it was also a time of great strife and cruelty the likes of which we could never imagine in this day and age. Sprinkled throughout with Italian words and phrases, PRIMAVERA dips the reader into the Renaissance period.

Flora, the youngest daughter of the Pazzi, strives to find beauty and normalcy in a life that is anything but. Scorned by her own mother, she lives as little more than a servant while her older sister, Domenicia, is primped, plucked, painted by the famed Botticelli, and otherwise prepared for the wedding that will join the Pazzi to the Medici.

As Flora contemplates her mother's plan for her future, life in a convent, a member of her father's guard arrives with a missive from the Pope himself. The guard, Emilio, hangs around and becomes the friend and companion that Flora has never had. When Emilio and Nonna, the grandmother who's raised and protected her, convince her to train with the guard, Flora finds strength that carries her through the difficult months to come.

PRIMAVERA is a captivating read. I found myself rooting for Flora and Emilio. Ms. Beaufrand painted her characters so realistically that I felt their pain, their fear, their guilt, and yes, even their joy. True to great historical fiction, the author did not flinch when she described some of the tragedies that befell her characters. Be warned that some of the scenes are quite graphic and not for the faint of heart. Yet I hesitate to limit this book to those only in 9th-grade and up.

If you know nothing about this time period, yet enjoy historical fiction, you will love this well-written novel. If you are a fan of the Renaissance you will revel in all of the historical details Ms. Beaufrand has so expertly shown.

Reviewed by: Cana Rensberger