The Shepherdess of Siena: A Novel of Renaissance Tuscany, by Linda Lafferty
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The Shepherdess of Siena: A Novel of Renaissance Tuscany, by Linda Lafferty
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Raised by her aunt and uncle amidst the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside, young orphan Virginia Tacci has always harbored a deep love for horses—though she knows she may never have the chance to ride. As a shepherdess in sixteenth-century Italy, Virginia’s possibilities are doubly limited by her peasant class and her gender. Yet while she tends her flock, Virginia is captivated by the daring equestrian feats of the high-spirited Isabella de’ Medici, who rides with the strength and courage of any man, much to the horror of her brother, the tyrannical Gran Duca Francesco de’ Medici.
Inspired, the young shepherdess keeps one dream close to her heart: to race in Siena’s Palio. Twenty-six years after Florence captured Siena, Virginia’s defiance will rally the broken spirit of the Senese people and threaten the pernicious reign of the Gran Duca. Bringing alive the rich history of one of Tuscany’s most famed cities, this lush, captivating saga draws an illuminating portrait of one girl with an unbreakable spirit.
The Shepherdess of Siena: A Novel of Renaissance Tuscany, by Linda Lafferty- Amazon Sales Rank: #222179 in Books
- Brand: Lafferty, Linda
- Published on: 2015-03-31
- Released on: 2015-03-31
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.25" h x 1.00" w x 5.50" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 574 pages
Review
“From the hills of Tuscany, to the streets of Siena, to the hidden abbeys and convents scattered throughout the area, this is one story that kept me spellbound to the very end. Betrayal, murder, kidnapping, love, and much, much more fill every page. Definitely a tale for the horse lover in all of us.” —Historical Novel Review
“An epic and richly textured tale of Renaissance Tuscany...If you enjoy really good historical fiction, stories that move and snap with life, stories that make you feel deeply for the characters and their struggles, then you will love [The Shepherdess of Siena].” —Aspen Daily News
“The Shepherdess of Siena is a lengthy, involving read that drew me in at once and which, it turns out, is based on a true heroine of Siena. Long may she ride.” —Fresh Fiction
About the Author
Linda Lafferty taught in public education for nearly three decades, in schools from the American School of Madrid to the Boulder Valley schools to the Aspen school district. She completed her PhD in bilingual special education and went on to work in that field, as well as teaching English as a second language and bilingual American history. Horses are Linda’s first love, and she rode on the University of Lancaster’s riding team for a year in England. As a teenager, her uncle introduced her to the sport of polo, and she played in her first polo tournament when she was seventeen. Linda also loves Siena, Italy, and the people of the region and has returned to the city half a dozen times in the past three years to research her novel. Linda is the author of three previous novels: The Bloodletter’s Daughter, The Drowning Guard, and House of Bathory. She lives in Colorado with her husband.
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Most helpful customer reviews
67 of 67 people found the following review helpful. Sweeping saga set during the early Medici Dukes era By Italophile Book Reviews The Shepherdess of Siena: A Novel of Renaissance Tuscany is actually a saga of Renaissance Tuscany. This epic saga of nearly 600 pages recounts the popular and scandalizing stories linked to the de' Medici royal family, the Grand Dukes of Tuscany at the beginning of their royal-ness, and how they affect their subjects, with much about one particular subject, a young shepherdess from Siena, in Tuscany.The de' Medici banking family was raised to royal status over the Tuscany Dutchy under military powerhouse Cosimo de' Medici in the 1500s. Fictionalized versions of his children are the focus of this book, along with their interactions with artists and subjects under their reign, most importantly with Virginia, a shepherdess with many hidden talents. Virginia is based on an historical figure, too. Her story in this book is half fact and half fiction, as the author admits in the Author's Notes.The de' Medici have long been favorites of historical gossips, many of whom have put the salacious inventions linked to the family down in print, giving them an authority they do not always have in historical fact. The author makes use of these juicy stories for her novel. And much historical research has also gone into the development of the story, which will surely please fans of historical epic novels.There are 102 chapters divided among seven parts in The Shepherdess of Siena:A de' Medici Princess and the Little Shepherdess - 1569-1574The Death of Cosimo de' Medici - 1574-1576Murder in Tuscany - 1576-1578The Heroine of Siena - 1579-1581Ferrara - 1581-1582The Art of Death 1582-1586The Reign of Granduca Ferdinando - 1586-1591This sweeping saga covers romance, politics, gossip, power, patronage, crime, religion, sports, patriotism, royals, adventure, pathos... The voice is sometimes first-person, and at other times third-person. The text is sprinkled with Italian words. The English is excellent and the editing expert.This is one for historical novel fans, those who love to be immersed in another time and place. Italophiles with a love of Italian history should enjoy the time they can spend in Renaissance Tuscany, hobnobbing with the exciting de' Medici family.Please visit my full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews. I received a review-copy.
45 of 50 people found the following review helpful. Courageous Heroine with Heart By Tara Chevrestt It took me a bit to make the connection, but I've read about the crazy Medicis before, in Elizabeth Loupas's The Red Lily Crown. Once I realized who I was reading about and began "recognizing" events, such as the murdering of wives and the alchemy, I could not help but compare the two novels.Both novels educated us about the Medicis through the eyes of strong women of the times: Loupas gave us a female chemist; Lafferty gives us a lady jockey. Both were considered shocking and unusual during this time period.As far as heroines go, I prefer this feisty girl jockey. She's a shepherdess who loves horses, has a unity with them, is determined to be the first girl to run the Palio--a race. And this isn't just running in a circle, but through town full of obstacles, sharp turns, people with whips and very little rules.This young girl who has never rode before suddenly declares she's going to not only race in, but win, the Palio and her determination very nearly gets her there. It's never too late to chase a dream. I also took away from this a moral: it's not really about winning. You don't have to make first place to "win". It's about determination and passion for what you are doing.So she becomes the heroine of Siena...meanwhile, the Medicis are poisoning each other. First it's the sisters, then it's the granduca himself...and there's magical paint. And then it seems like Virginia Tacci, heroine of Siena, is fated to a life in "prison". Will anyone be able to release her? And once released, will she want to be free?I said above, I preferred this heroine, but as far as writing goes and the Medici plotline, I prefer Loupas's writing and interpretation. I didn't find myself as engrossed with the Medicis' lives and scandal and disputes in this one as I did with Loupas's novel, probably because Virginia herself never really deals with them. So the two stories are not as entwined and it was jarring at times to go from one setting to another. Without the likable heroine connecting it all, I began to lose interest.When it was Virginia talking--first person, her POV--I was happy. When it went to the Medicis or the painters or any other character, I was not as engrossed. I confess to moments of boredom. The Medici story simply did not appeal to me as much as Virginia's story.But what a courageous heroine--her determination, her passion only for horses, her riding astride and refusal to dress as a boy because she is proud to be a girl. Her insistence on a feminine version of the word jockey. She's terrific and an inspiration. Had the story just been about her, I'd have been happier. Though I did take away some new knowledge from this, such as the siege/starvation of Siena. I did not know about that.
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful. Great Renaissance history novel By Just Jennifer a bookworm This was a great read when you have a lot of time because it's hard to put down. It's the story of a girl who was also a shepherd who also loved horses and dreamed of riding in the Palio in Siena. When the rich and powerful control the lives of many people. Loved it!
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