Costanza
Book description
'Wonderful... This novel took over my life for the time I was buried in it. Powerful and deeply affecting' Paterson Joseph
Rome, 1636: In the scorched city of Rome, the cobbled streets hum with gossip and sin...
Costanza Piccolomini is a respectable young wife - until she meets Gianlorenzo Bernini,…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Costanza as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I knew little about Bernini and certainly nothing about Costanza. I like the twist that let's her discover the reason for her being barren; I like her lust for life and it's shockingly instructive how the male world begrudges her that quest for that little bit of life. The ending is uplifting - sisterhood is her ultimate saving grace. The author evokes Baroque Rome beautifully!
At first glance, this may seem like a strange choice for this list of books featuring fierce female lead characters, given the storyline of a woman having an affair with a sculptor who makes her his muse. However, I fell in love with the writing, which is so evocative that I could almost smell the baked air of 17th-century Rome and feel the uneven cobbles beneath my feet.
But as the story developed, I loved the character of Costanza more…and as the plot played out, I almost howled in anger at what she endured. This is another story based on…
From Barbara's list on historical fiction with a kick ass female lead.
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