The Birth of Venus (Dunant)

Infobox Book
name = The Birth of Venus: A Novel
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = First Edition Book Cover, Random House
author = Sarah Dunant
illustrator =
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country = United States
language = English
series =
subject =
genre =
publisher = Random House
pub_date = February 1, 2004
english_pub_date =
media_type = Print (Hardcover)
pages = 416 pp
isbn = ISBN 1400060737
oclc =
preceded_by =
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"The Birth of Venus: A Novel" is a 2003 novel by Sarah Dunant, a bestselling British author. The plot is one of passion, politics, and danger. The story is set in the turbulent and exciting late 1400s in Florence, Italy. It features a young Florentine girl, Alessandra Cecchi, who is drawn to a young painter commissioned to paint the family's chapel walls. The painter is brought to her home by her father, a rich textile merchant whose business would be negatively affected by the rise of Girolamo Savonarola in Florence over the next few years. The book follows Alessandra's daily life closely, and is in fact told from the first-person perspective, as a memoir written by Alessandra late in her life. Her passion for painting and learning serve her well for herself, but not in the face of her family. Her mother, herself an intelligent and artistic woman, tries her hardest to shape Alessandra into a woman who will be desired by a successful and powerful man. Eventually, after Alessandra has met the painter, but before her feelings for him and his talent have made themselves known to her, her hateful brother Tomaso suggests strong but politically quiet Cristoforo Langella as a potential husband for her. The book takes a thrilling turn as Tomaso's intention and motive is revealed soon after Alessandra's marriage.

Meanwhile, her attraction to the painter grows, as does her affection for her wise and noble husband. Alessandra's observations of the political turbulence in Florence are eye-opening and quite possibly the most fascinating aspect of Dunant's story. Dunant brilliantly captures the personal conflict felt by Alessandra - she feels torn between Savonarola's powerful and fiery message and her own creative mind. She believes she knows what is right, but still hasn't decided what, exactly, she will do about it.

"The Birth of Venus: A Novel" is a well-designed and poignant book full of twists and turns that give the reader a good ride as well as a good read. The stench and misery of a Savonarola-ruled Florence makes the stomach turn, and the creative and clever descriptions of the paintings that serve as the only shining light in Alessandra's life are a focal point of hope. Alessandra's courage is tested over and over again, but the author leaves it to the reader to determine whether the young woman wins every battle.