An enchanting novel on the life and origins of Leonardo da Vinci’s mother, as imagined by the author of the “absolutely superb” (Diane Haeger, author of The Secret Bride) Mademoiselle Boleyn.A young woman named Caterina was only fifteen years old in 1452 when she bore an illegitimate child in the tiny village of Vinci. His name was Leonardo, and he was destined to change the world forever.… change the world forever.
Caterina suffered much cruelty as an unmarried mother and had no recourse when her boy was taken away from her. But no one knew the secrets of her own childhood, nor could ever have guessed the dangerous and heretical scheme she would devise to protect and watch over her remarkable son. This captivating novel imagines the story of Caterina—the brilliant young woman, the adventurer, the alchemist—during the fascinating period of the Renaissance.
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I love the fictionalized story of Signora da Vinci. It took great imagination to develop this story. I loved it.
This was very easy to get engrossed in. You just didn’t want to put it down. Loved the time period. Highly recommend it.
Nice blend of real events and fictional spins on the story.
While super loosely based on historical events, it was an interesting tale. If only it had happened like this!
boring
The renaissance was an interesting time including changes in the culture of Florence. Leonardo da Vinci lived in interesting times as told by his mother.
Contrived and forced. One too many “coincidences”
This is the best book I have read in a very long time. The characters were very well developed and the time period/subject was very well researched. I have studied this time period, the de Medicis and di Vinci. I loved every word in this book. I felt as if I was living along side the characters in Italy…I wondered what they were doing while I was away from the book. I read A LOT and it is very rare to find a story as thought provoking and well written as this one. Brilliant! A must, must read! This book is at the top of my favorites list along with with The Agony and The Ecstasy by Irving Stone for history; and, Eat, Love, Pray by Elizabeth Gilbert for character development.
Leonardo was a genius besides being a talented artist. Not knowing anything about his younger years this book gives us a picture of what might have happened. Well researched and imaginally written. Very entertaining.
I learned a lot about Leonardo da Vinci by reading this book. Some of what I learned at first seemed so unlikely that I looked it up, and, sure enough, Leonardo was at least a vegetarian and perhaps a vegan. He did indeed buy caged birds in the market and let them loose. There were other things like this. HIs mother was a young woman, probably 15 or so, named Caterina, or at least an elderly woman was supported by Leonardo and buried in an expensive funeral. He probably was an atheist, or maybe just an agnostic. I really enjoy historical fiction, and I enjoyed this book because I learned so much.
Loved the book.
This book offers a glimpse into the lives of people who lived in the past. It was well written and moved swiftly through their stories.
I enjoyed the book although in reading a biography later of Leonardo da Vinci (her son) that many of the facts were not true.It was good fiction.
Hogwash
What if we knew something about Leonardo da Vinci’s mother? I love the answer to that question posed through this novel. The great minds and artists of this era were met and experienced in this book. I found it well researched and then the research added to with a delightful story that was hard to put down.
Excellent
I love historical fiction, so i was really looking forward to this book! I made it about half way thru. Extremely weird book!! I have no other description for it!!! Would not recommend it at all!!!