Book Review: The Maiden Of Florence by Katherine Mezzacappa #TheMaidenOfFlorence @katmezzacappa @FairlightBooks @rararesources

Synopsis

‘My defloration was talked about in all the courts of Europe. The Prince boasted of his prowess, even as preparations were being made for his wedding, as boldly as if he had ridden across that causeway with bloodstained sheet tied to his lance.’

1584, Italy: Twenty-year-old Giulia expects she will live and die incarcerated as a silk weaver within the walls of her Florentine orphanage, where she has never so much as glimpsed her own face. This all changes with the visit of the Medici family’s most trusted advisor, promising her a generous dowry
and a husband if she agrees to a small sacrifice that will bring honour and glory to her native city.

Vincenzo Gonzaga, libertine heir to the dukedom of Mantua, wants to marry the Grand-Duke of Tuscany’s eldest daughter, but the rumours around his unconsummated first marriage must be
silenced first. Eager for a dynastic alliance that will be a bulwark against the threat of Protestant heresy beyond the Alps, the Pope and his cardinals turn a blind eye to a mortal sin.

A powerful #MeToo story of the Renaissance, based on true events.

My Review

In 1584 Italy, twenty year old Giulia is selected from her orphanage to make a sacrifice of her virtue to Prince Vincenzo Gonzaga, for this she is promised a dowry and a husband. This is the extraordinary story of Giulia. 

As someone who enjoys historical fiction I was very intrigued by this book because of the time period that the story was set in and because I’d not come across a story like this before. This was definitely a slow burn read and I think the slow pace suited the story because it helped me to get to know the main character Giulia. The story is narrated by an older Giulia as she tells the reader about her life in which she was exploited by those in power.

Giulia is a character that I couldn’t help but feel sad for because of what she went through but also how her life unfolded. She is picked from her orphanage not only because of her age but also because of their beauty and is used in an experiment. Giulia knows that she doesn’t really have a choice in the matter and clings to the thought that she will receive a husband and a dowry which will set her up for life but it also means that she will be free from the orphanage. However this does trigger a chain of events that Giulia cannot escape from. As the reader learns Giulia is never able to leave the past behind and later on in her life it does come back to haunt her. It did feel like the people that had chosen Giulia had in some ways got their claws into her and once those claws were attached they could never be removed. Once Giulia is married she tries to start her life again, but the past is never far away in her thoughts. Interestingly Giulia never tries to hide her past from her husband and they do form a bond where she is able to tell him what happened to her. Although their relationship starts as a marriage of convenience they do find love. 

An emotional and dark read. 

Author Bio

Katherine Mezzacappa is an Irish writer of mainly historical fiction, currently living in Italy. She has published several novels under pen names with publishers Bonnier Zaffre and eXtasy. She works as a manuscript assessor for The Literary Consultancy. Katherine reviews for Historical Novel Society’s quarterly journal and is one of the organisers of the Society’s 2022 UK conference. In her spare time she volunteers with a used book charity of which she is a founder member.

Social Media Links –

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https://katherinemezzacappa.ie/