For fans of rich and vivid YA historical fiction like Girl with a Pearl Earring and Code Name Verity, Laura Malone Elliott delivers the stunning tale of real-life Renaissance woman Ginevra de' Benci, the inspiration for the art history mystery behind one of Leonardo da Vinci's earliest masterpieces.
The young and beautiful daughter of a wealthy family, Ginevra longs to share her poetry and participate in the artistic ferment of Renaissance Florence but is trapped in an arranged marriage in a society dictated by men.
The arrival of the charismatic Venetian ambassador, Bernardo Bembo, introduces Ginevra to a dazzling circle of patrons, artists, and philosophers. Bembo chooses Ginevra as his Platonic muse and commissions a portrait of her by a young Leonardo da Vinci.
Posing for the brilliant painter inspires an intimate connection between them, one Ginevra only begins to understand.
In a rich and vivid world of exquisite art with a dangerous underbelly of deadly political intrigue, Ginevra faces many challenges to discover her voice and artistic companionship--and to find love.
Her portrait will make her immortal, but the woman in the painting must navigate a treacherous world of genius, politics, and passion to define her own destiny.
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A Strong Female Protagonist: Meet Ginevra de' Benci, a gifted young poet who sees herself as a "mountain tiger" trapped in a world that wants to keep her in a gilded cage.
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Biographical Fiction: Discover the meticulously researched story behind the real woman who inspired Leonardo da Vinci's first masterpiece and the only one on display in the Americas.
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Slow Burn Romance: An intimate, intellectual connection sparks between Ginevra and the brilliant young artist hired to paint her, Leonardo da Vinci, a bond that challenges them both.
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15th Century Italy: Experience the dazzling but dangerous world of the Florentine Renaissance, from magnificent jousting tournaments to the deadly political conspiracies of the Medici and Pazzi families.
