"Glorious . . . Impeccably researched and rife with lush detail and life’s wisdom." — Toronto Star
A kaleidoscope of a novel, overflowing with the characters, art, suffering and discoveries of Renaissance Florence, Tuscan Daughter brings history to life. — Anne Giardini, author of Advice for Italian Boys
Like a skilled sculptor, Lisa Rochon has chipped away the marble of time and given new life to Michelangelo, Leonardo and the artists of Renaissance Florence. Even better, her marvelous novel Tuscan Daughter surrounds them with ambitious, skilled, complicated women, rescuing through fiction what was lost in history. — Elizabeth Renzetti, author of Based on a True Story and Shrewed
Renaissance Florence has inspired yet another exquisite work of scholarship, beauty, and craftsmanship. Tuscan Daughter re-assembles familiar titans—Michelangelo, Leonardo, Machiavelli—in the magnificence of Renaissance Florence, but provides the fresh perspective of a young women struggling to find her way. Rochon’s writing reminds me of the sfumature—the tiny feathery touches—that Leonardo used to create his masterworks. Stroke by stroke, phrase by phrase, she constructs a vivid portrait of a time and a place that never cease to fascinate. — Dianne Hales, author of La Bella Lingua, Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered, and La Passione: How Italy Seduced the World.
"The cobblestone streets of Florence come alive in this heartfelt tale of the high renaissance. In Tuscan Daughter, Lisa Rochon weaves a rich tapestry of palaces and olive groves, of marble dust and genius; and a peasant girl who dreams of becoming an artist." — Glenn Dixon, author of Juliet's Answer
"Superbly researched and vividly imagined, Lisa Rochon’s debut novel entwines the trials of a peasant girl with the unfolding drama of master artists Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci as they create their most revered works. In prose befitting the grace and beauty of the Renaissance, 16th century Florence comes to pungent, pulsing life—the gritty underclass, the artistic splendor, rivalries and ambitions, and the brutality of warring city-states." — Cathy Marie Buchanan, New York Times-bestselling author ofDaughter of BlackLake
A kaleidoscope of a novel, overflowing with the characters, art, suffering and discoveries of Renaissance Florence, Tuscan Daughter brings history to life.
Like a skilled sculptor, Lisa Rochon has chipped away the marble of time and given new life to Michelangelo, Leonardo and the artists of Renaissance Florence. Even better, her marvelous novel Tuscan Daughter surrounds them with ambitious, skilled, complicated women, rescuing through fiction what was lost in history.
Renaissance Florence has inspired yet another exquisite work of scholarship, beauty, and craftsmanship. Tuscan Daughter re-assembles familiar titans—Michelangelo, Leonardo, Machiavelli—in the magnificence of Renaissance Florence, but provides the fresh perspective of a young women struggling to find her way. Rochon’s writing reminds me of the sfumature—the tiny feathery touches—that Leonardo used to create his masterworks. Stroke by stroke, phrase by phrase, she constructs a vivid portrait of a time and a place that never cease to fascinate.
"Glorious . . . Impeccably researched and rife with lush detail and life’s wisdom."
"Superbly researched and vividly imagined, Lisa Rochon’s debut novel entwines the trials of a peasant girl with the unfolding drama of master artists Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci as they create their most revered works. In prose befitting the grace and beauty of the Renaissance, 16th century Florence comes to pungent, pulsing life—the gritty underclass, the artistic splendor, rivalries and ambitions, and the brutality of warring city-states."
"The cobblestone streets of Florence come alive in this heartfelt tale of the high renaissance. In Tuscan Daughter, Lisa Rochon weaves a rich tapestry of palaces and olive groves, of marble dust and genius; and a peasant girl who dreams of becoming an artist."
Narrator Carlotta Brentan transports the listener to the gritty streets of Renaissance Florence in this story of a resilient girl who is surviving on her own. Brentan’s gentle voice captures the youth and innocence of Beatrice, who lives on her meager earnings from selling olive oil to artists while searching for her missing mother. Beatrice befriends rivals Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, who are differentiated by distinctive voices with similar tones of egotism. They come to Beatrice’s aid in different ways and recognize her artistic talent. Brentan gives Italian accents to names and locations to provide a sense of place and adds personality to the dialogue of the many local characters. The listener will especially enjoy the glimpses of the two artistic greats. J.E.S. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Narrator Carlotta Brentan transports the listener to the gritty streets of Renaissance Florence in this story of a resilient girl who is surviving on her own. Brentan’s gentle voice captures the youth and innocence of Beatrice, who lives on her meager earnings from selling olive oil to artists while searching for her missing mother. Beatrice befriends rivals Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, who are differentiated by distinctive voices with similar tones of egotism. They come to Beatrice’s aid in different ways and recognize her artistic talent. Brentan gives Italian accents to names and locations to provide a sense of place and adds personality to the dialogue of the many local characters. The listener will especially enjoy the glimpses of the two artistic greats. J.E.S. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine