Friday, July 5, 2013

Blood and Beauty by Sarah Dunant

Blood and Beauty by Sarah Dunant

Dunant takes on one of the most infamous historical families in her latest: the Borgias.  The novel covers the time period from Rodrigo Borgia’s election as Pope Alexander VI until Lucrezia’s third marriage.  It is a time of political intrigue, murder and war in Italy, everything carefully maneuvered so the Borgia family attains and holds more and more power.

I have enjoyed all of Dunant’s novels.  She makes the past come to life and sheds light on familiar times and people in history.  We have all heard of Lucrezia Borgia, but in this novel you feel for this woman and all she if forced to endure for the good of her family.  This girl, turned woman, is a pawn of her male relatives.  If you think the Pope is the worst of the clan, wait until you get to know Lucrezia’s older brother.

This book is available soon (July 16th) so place your holds now!