Signora da Vinci
by Robin Maxwell
First of all, I have to say it – this is my favorite Robin Maxwell novel! Yes, even more than O, Juliet I’m afraid! I’m so glad to have saved this one for last, and though I was on a tight schedule to get it read, I savored it for 2 more days than I had to. I planned to get it read by December 31st, so that it would be on my 2009 list, but I couldn’t rush it. I read it slowly and deliberately and finished it up on January 2nd.
Back in 2002, when I worked for Borders, the company was preparing a huge campaign to promote The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and asked employees to read the book for this purpose. And so I was one of the few people who read it before it became immensely popular; and I genuinely loved the book. I am always intrigued by religious conspiracies, especially those involving Catholics and Protestants before, during and after the Reformation. I knew much about Leonardo da Vinci because after reading The Da Vinci Code I poured over art books and biographies, trying to learn as much as I could about this fascinating Renaissance man.
Now, back to the book at hand: Signora da Vinci…
Caterina is an alchemist’s daughter. Though her father is respected in their small town of Vinci as an apothecary, he is secretly teaching his motherless child to read ancient texts and the art of alchemy, which are viewed as heretical by the Church of Rome. Once Leonardo comes along, his affluent father deems it necessary that he be raised as the bastard son of an important gentleman, which does give him the connections he needs to enter the world of artists in Florence.
Lost and hopelessly depressed without her brilliant son in her life, Caterina adopts a new identity in order to be near him as he grows into a man. I don’t want to give more details away, as I really enjoyed all of the little surprises in this novel. Lorenzo de Medici is a prominent figure, as his grandfather is in O, Juliet and it was nice to have that little connection between the two novels. If you haven’t read Mademoiselle Boleyn, you will also be pleasantly surprised to find Leonardo da Vinci featured as a sort of father figure to her in the French court, where he spent his last years (carrying around a certain portrait, the Mona Lisa).
The characters in this book are very likeable, with the exception of the antagonists, who are not so evil as to be unbelievable. I’ve always found Robin Maxwell’s writing to be balanced in this respect and she gives a panoramic view of the setting and political and religious agendas. In other words, her stories do not revolve solely around the main character, but offer a look at life in general. I can’t give her too much praise, as her books are some of the best historical fiction available today!
Hello, my name is Arleigh... welcome to my book review site! Here you will find author guest posts, book news, reviews and various articles on the genre. My favorite author is Jean Plaidy, of whom I have built a 
This one is my favorite Robin Maxwell book too!!! I wanted to give it 10 stars! I feel in love with Lorenzo and his band of philosphers and thinkers…the scenes where they had their secret meetings were my favorite! Catarina has to be one of my all-time favorite protagonists – you couldn’t help but admire her and her strength.
Really great review Arleigh!
PS – I LOVED The Da Vinci Code too! I never saw the movie though – did you?
Sounds great, I have been wanting to read this one for months
Amy, I did see the movie and admired it for its visuals, but I just couldn’t stomach my beloved Gandolf as a bad guy. And I didn’t think Tom Hanks was a good fit for Langdon, but he did okay I guess.
I love it when we get to read a book that has some continuity in terms of characters- that’s such a treat! It makes the book somehow more real- as though you know the characters on a personal level. Thanks for the review- you are such a Maxwell addict!
Excellent review! I already have this on my tbr but I’ll have to move it up.
I like that the story is well balanced and gives you a panormaic view. Just lays the story out there without taking a side.
Read daVinci Code and enjoyed that too, but the movie not so much. Wasn’t crazy about Hanks, but liked him much more in Amgels and Demons, another excellent book.
A great review Arleigh. It is so intriguing that the author has the thread of same characters within some of the other novels. It’s sort of like an insiders secret if you get my meaning.
I hope to get this one too someday toa dd to my collection!
What a great review! I am heading to my TBR list now to add this terrific find. Thanks for the heads up!
One of my favorite periods in history. I am going to have to try and find a copy….or maybe I will be lucky!
I’ve read four of Robin’s books – The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, Mademoiselle Boleyn, Signora da Vinci, and O, Juliet – all have been excellent but I think that Secret Diary and Signora da Vinci are my favorites so far. I’m such a sucker for all things Leonardo and I loved how Robin included him as a character in two of her novels. I also really like it when an author keeps a continuous thread of characters or events that connects the books together in some way.
I’m still really looking forward to reading the Elizabeth trilogy. And I’m very intrigued by To The Tower Born, which I will get to once I finish Sharon Kay Penman’s The Sunne in Splendour (I’ve been reading that very slowly alongside other reads, to get a very detailed view of the Wars of the Roses, which I previously knew very little about…then I plan to read Robin’s rendition and PG’s White Queen). Thanks for doing all these reviews of Robin’s books on here – I will definitely be checking out the ones I’ve missed, you make them sound very exciting!
Allie – To the Tower Born is one of my favorite novels on The Wars of the Roses! I love that William Caxton was used as a character and for him to have a daughter who was friends with Elizabeth of York… and there was her love, Anthony Woodville… I just loved it and it spoiled Daughter of York by Anne Easter Smith for me because I didn’t like her taking Nell’s beloved, lol! The Princes in the Tower conspiracy is very good. Loved it!
I haven’t read this one yet – but it was the first Maxwell book I bought. I love the premise and with all of these great reviews, I will have to try and get to it soonish!
This book was so so gooood! I put it on my top 2009 reads. It is so neat that you are reading or now have read all of her books I am going to check out your other posts now. Great review!
The review sounds fabulous. I do so love your style Arleigh. And the cover looks so charming. I have to find a way to get this book. Its very strange that even Singapore or Dubai with huge expat populations – the bookshops there dont have a wide range of books. They of course are willing to get it down for you but you cant just walk into a place and buy!
Anyway this is a must read. Thank you for your review.
Great review! I will have to add this to my TBR list.
Arleigh, I mentioned your review on my site, with a link. I hope you don’t mind but I enjoyed the review so much I wanted to pass it along.
Happy Friday!
~ Lori
(www.psychoticstate.blogspot.com)
When, as a writer, you put so much blood, sweat and tears into a book, it is really gratifying to learn that readers appreciate the effort. Never was this truer than with SIGNORA DA VINCI. I went from a full stop (having written six Tudor/Elizabethan book first), never having visited Italy, not speaking the language, knowing almost nothing about Italian Renaissance art, philosophy, politics, alchemy, apothecary, the Medici or Leonardo da Vinci… during the darkest period of my own life — much illness and many deaths in the family — to a place where I felt like I was living among my characters, visiting the Palazzo Medici, sitting with the philosophers of the Platonic Academy, joining in experiments in Caterina’s secret alchemical laboratory and eating hashish confections under the Vatican roof. It was a journey like no other I’d ever taken (o, perhaps to Ireland during the rebellion there, but that was such a dark, dreadful time compared to this!). So thanks from the bottom of my heart for your wonderful review, Arleigh, Amy, Lucy, Allie, Marie, Heather and Lizzy. I hope all of you who have it on your TBR pile enjoy it, and Lori, thank you for posting this wonderful review on your blog.
Many hugs,
Robin
Another one I must add to my tbr pile! I can hear my dear bookshelves growning under the weight now!
Great review!