The Second Mrs. Gioconda [Paperback]

E.L. Konigsburg (Author)

Book Description

The Mona Lisa... Why did Leonardo da Vinci lavish three years on a painting of the second wife of an unimportant merchant when all the nobles of Europe were begging for a portrait by his hand?

No one knows for sure. But this story of Leonardo, his wayward apprentice Salai, and the Duke of Milan's plain young wife, Beatrice d'Este, may hold the clue to the most famous -- and puzzling -- painting of all time.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The Mona Lisa... Why did Leonardo da Vinci lavish three years on a painting of the second wife of an unimportant merchant when all the nobles of Europe were begging for a portrait by his hand?

No one knows for sure. But this story of Leonardo, his wayward apprentice Salai, and the Duke of Milan's plain young wife, Beatrice d'Este, may hold the clue to the most famous -- and puzzling -- painting of all time. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

E. L. Konigsburg is the only author to have won the Newbery Medal and be runner-up in the same year. In 1968 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler won the Newbery Medal and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth was named Newbery Honor Book. Almost thirty years later she won the Newbery Medal once again for The View From Saturday. She has also written and illustrated three picture books: Samuel Todd's Book of Great Colors, Samuel Todd's Book of Great Inventions, and Amy Elizabeth Explores Bloomingdale's. In 2000 she wrote Silent to the Bone, which was named a New York Times Notable Book and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, among many other honors.

After completing her degree at Carnegie Mellon University, Ms. Konigsburg did graduate work in organic chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. For several years she taught science at a private girls' school. When the third of her three children started kindergarten, she began to write. She now lives on the beach in North Florida.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (April 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689821212
• ISBN-13: 978-0689821219
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #740,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Fiction > Renaissance
  • #28 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Renaissance

More About the Author

E. L. Konigsburg is the only author to have won the Newbery Medal and be runner-up in the same year. In 1968 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler won the Newbery Medal and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth was named Newbery Honor Book. Almost thirty years later she won the Newbery Medal once again for The View From Saturday. She has also written and illustrated three picture books: Samuel Todd's Book of Great Colors, Samuel Todd's Book of Great Inventions, and Amy Elizabeth Explores Bloomingdale's. In 2000 she wrote Silent to the Bone, which was named a New York Times Notable Book and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, among many other honors.

After completing her degree at Carnegie Mellon University, Ms. Konigsburg did graduate work in organic chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. For several years she taught science at a private girls' school. When the third of her three children started kindergarten, she began to write. She now lives on the beach in North Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Who was Mrs. Giaconda?, October 10, 2003

By 

Carol Hemphill (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Second Mrs. Gioconda (Paperback)

The Second Mrs. GIaconda is a magnificently written book by a favorite author, E.L. Konigsburg. Intially the story begins in Milan, Italy, but as it progresses the characters travel to many other locations in sixteenth century Renaissance Europe.

The main character, Salai, is a young thief at the age of thirteen, with hair as curly as a pig's tail. Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci, befriends Salai and makes him an apprentice. The only real talent Salai possesses is his ability to make Leonardo laugh. The pair reside in Milan with Duke Il Moro and his wife Beatrice de Este'. Beatrice possesses great inner beauty and they come to love her deeply. A compelling series of events lead up to Leonardo's painting of a mere merchant's wife, the captivating Mona Lisa.

This is a wonderful book filled with a little action, some adventure, some tears and a host of big laughs. It is a wonderful read for any person over the age of ten. The Second Mrs. Giaconda is a story you may want to read again and again!

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Am I Missing The Point???, July 28, 2005

By 

Student (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Second Mrs. Gioconda (Paperback)

The Second Mrs. Giaconda was one of my required books over the summer. I started off thinking that I may really like the book because I LOVE everything else Konigsburg has written. But to my dismay I didn't. I was really disappointed. The book was dull and didn't seem to have a point. I was wanting to hear a story about the actual painting of the Mona Lisa with some of what lead up to it, I wanted to hear what happened after Leonardo painted the world renowned painting. I also wanted to hear more about who Mona Lisa was. That was what the book was supposed to be about, wasn't it? The book really disappointed me. I also thought that the language in the book was too current day. Salai said things like "guy" and "hey". I could be wrong but I don't think that people said those kinds of things in the Renaissance Era. Konigsburg could have done a better job making the language fit the time period. It was really distracting. The book was so thin and quick that you didn't get to know the characters and they weren't well developed. I don't even feel that I got a better understanding of who Leonardo DaVinci was. Maybe I expected too much of a book... All the other book on the list I loved (Kite Runner and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time)! I guess its better luck next time for me. There are books you love...and there are books you don't.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Second Mrs.Giaconda, November 1, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Second Mrs. Gioconda (Paperback)

The Second Mrs.Giaconda, by E. L. Konigsburg, is a book about a poor, dogged, perverse boy living in Italy who stumbles upon Leonardo da Vinci... which changes his life forever. E. L. Konigsburg tells why Leonardo da Vinci painted a portrait of an unimportant merchant's wife when tons of dukes and duchesses wanted their portrait done.

I thought that it was a good book that was thoughtful and well-written, but a bit slow and lacking action. Another book I would recommend by E.L. Konigsburg is From the Mixed-Up Files of Ms. Basil E. Frankweiler.