The Painter's Apprentice

I loved the detail of the craft of gilding in this book, a craft that is little known today. I was interested, too, in the effect that the plague had on the city of Venice. Another plus for me was that Maria’s love interest was a Moor, Cristiano, and this added to the slow-burn tension of the relationship.

For me, this was the sort of historical fiction I don’t read often–immaculately researched with plenty of insider details that could only be known by an expert. Though the story doesn’t move particularly fast, it did make me think and immersed me… show more.

Laura Morelli’s debut novel is another piece of historical fiction set during a period of plague. The research here also shines through, but the characters are the real stars. The Painter’s Apprentice follows a young girl whose father works with gilded gold leaves. As this artform begins to fall out of fashion and newer painting techniques become favored by the city’s elite, she’s sent off to live with a renowned painter as his apprentice. All seems well in the beginning, until she falls in love with the Moor servant and bubonic plague strikes the city.