Barbara Quick

I admit to being quite ignorant when it comes to European historical figures. Everything after Rome fell is pretty much a gray area of if I know about its only because of a movie, TV Show or freak accident while reading. So unsurprisingly before I began this book, which is a fictional accounting of Alessandra Giliani, I went researching. And insofar as wikipedia can be trusted I discovered that Alessandra died at a young age (19 years) in a fire.

Well then. I guess I won't be expecting a happily ever after will I?

The author shines when it comes to descriptions. Her description of 14th century Italy, of Alessandra's aristocratic lifestyle, of the school in Bologna...this is all meticulously detailed to the point where I would be hard pressed to remember what century I live in. Its not an exaggeration to say I almost felt like I lived in that time period at times.

Unfortunately this didn't translate to the characters and motivations. Alessandra is understood quite well--Quick is at pains to have the reader understand the yearning Alessandra has to learn and become educated. The measures she takes (disguising herself as a boy to attend the Anatomy school in Bologna) so she doesn't have to live the same life as everyone else. Alessandra is well outlined, given the right tools to prove herself, but in the end Quick doesn't spend enough time on any one certain detail beyond that yearning.

And the other characters...truth be told I can't remember any of their names. I read the book about a month ago, but none of the names stuck with me. Which is a product of how bland they were. Even her stepmother, who disliked her so thoroughly, was given such a broad stroke for characterization that I'm hard-pressed to remember why she disliked her.

Whether its meant to be a historical fiction or fictional biography, the book didn't give me a good sense of Alessandra the girl. It gave me a marvelous sense of the problems she faced as a 14th Century aristocrat, but not much about the person behind the name.… (más)

En la Venecia del siglo xviii, el Ospedale della Pietà es un hospital-convento que acoge a las numerosas niñas huérfanas abandonadas por sus madres. Las niñas residentes reciben una exquisita educación musical de la mano del maestro Antonio Vivaldi. La formidable complicidad establecida por el autor de Las Cuatro Estaciones con estas vírgenes da como resultado unas voces angelicales que encandilan a toda Venecia. Una de ellas es la de Anna Maria dal Violin. Desde muy joven, le ha escrito cartas a esa madre desconocida a la que tanto anhela conocer algún día.… (más)