A Golden Web by Barbara Quick
- Reading level: Young Adult
- Hardcover: 272 pages
- Publisher: HarperTeen (April 6, 2010)
BOOK DESCRIPTION: Alessandra is desperate to escape.
Desperate to escape her stepmother, who's locked her away for a year; to escape the cloister that awaits her and the marriage plans that have been made for her; to escape the expectations that limit her and every other girl in fourteenth-century Italy. There's no tolerance in her quiet village for Alessandra and her keen intelligence and unconventional ideas.
In defiant pursuit of her dreams, Alessandra undertakes an audacious quest, her bravery equaled only by the dangers she faces. Disguised and alone in a city of spies and scholars, Alessandra will find a love she could not foresee -- and an enduring fame.
In this exquisite imagining of the centuries-old story of Alessandra Giliani, the world's first female anatomist, acclaimed novelist Barbara Quick gives readers the drama, romance, and rich historical detail for which she is known as she shines a light on an unforgotten -- and unforgettable -- heroine.
MY REVIEW: The wonderful thing about reading is discovery: being taken to other worlds, meeting different types of people or beings, learning about various situations. What I really love about reading is being surprised and I find that this special element doesn't happen as often as I would hope it would. A GOLDEN WEB is a novel which not only surprised me, it took me to another time and place and totally engrossed me in the story.
Alessandra Giliani is no ordinary young girl. She is intelligent and her quest for knowledge is great. In her day females are expected to marry and raise children, that is if they survive childbirth. Alessandra doesn't want a simple life, she wants to go to the city and learn, sit in on lectures given by brilliant scholars and teachers. But when she tells her father her dream he scoffs at her, though his words are full of care and love. He tells her to trust him, he will choose the right man for her to marry.
With the help of her older brother, Nicco, Alessandra devises a plan to get her out of the cloister she has been sent to for a year before taking her wedding vows. This plan will set into motion the events to follow which will make her name famous.
I found A GOLDEN WEB a little slow in the beginning but upon introspection realized the introduction to Alessandra's world was necessary. It is here we see her interact with her family and see her for who she truly is. Once she left for the cloister the story took off and I went along with it. Quick's writing grabs you and transports you to the picturesque towns and cities of Italy. The story had humor, fluidity, science, religion, and a lovely romance to cheer for. What this book had is an unforgettable character, Alessandra. To know such a young, idealistic woman existed back then is remarkable, as was she. Her persistence and determination were admirable, making her a true role model for girls everywhere. The author explains thoroughly how she researched and traveled to depict a truthful Alessandra. The end result is this jem of a book. Highly recommended.
A FAVORITE SCENE: Alessandra is not the type of girl to have her heads in the clouds, but when she sees Otto for the first time she feels different. When he moves into the same house as her, in the room next door, their friendship intensifies. I loved the scene in the water but it was too long to put in here so I chose another wonderful scene.
“When he sat with her, late into the night—as they parsed Latin together and she could feel the heat of him so close to her—her head swam with the frustration and unfairness of it. More than once she leaned so close that her lips nearly brushed his cheek. But every time she stopped herself, pushing herself up from the bench where they sat to go outside and gulp the cool night air—or simply telling Otto that she was too sleepy to study anymore.
Desperate to escape her stepmother, who's locked her away for a year; to escape the cloister that awaits her and the marriage plans that have been made for her; to escape the expectations that limit her and every other girl in fourteenth-century Italy. There's no tolerance in her quiet village for Alessandra and her keen intelligence and unconventional ideas.
In defiant pursuit of her dreams, Alessandra undertakes an audacious quest, her bravery equaled only by the dangers she faces. Disguised and alone in a city of spies and scholars, Alessandra will find a love she could not foresee -- and an enduring fame.
In this exquisite imagining of the centuries-old story of Alessandra Giliani, the world's first female anatomist, acclaimed novelist Barbara Quick gives readers the drama, romance, and rich historical detail for which she is known as she shines a light on an unforgotten -- and unforgettable -- heroine.
MY REVIEW: The wonderful thing about reading is discovery: being taken to other worlds, meeting different types of people or beings, learning about various situations. What I really love about reading is being surprised and I find that this special element doesn't happen as often as I would hope it would. A GOLDEN WEB is a novel which not only surprised me, it took me to another time and place and totally engrossed me in the story.
Alessandra Giliani is no ordinary young girl. She is intelligent and her quest for knowledge is great. In her day females are expected to marry and raise children, that is if they survive childbirth. Alessandra doesn't want a simple life, she wants to go to the city and learn, sit in on lectures given by brilliant scholars and teachers. But when she tells her father her dream he scoffs at her, though his words are full of care and love. He tells her to trust him, he will choose the right man for her to marry.
With the help of her older brother, Nicco, Alessandra devises a plan to get her out of the cloister she has been sent to for a year before taking her wedding vows. This plan will set into motion the events to follow which will make her name famous.
I found A GOLDEN WEB a little slow in the beginning but upon introspection realized the introduction to Alessandra's world was necessary. It is here we see her interact with her family and see her for who she truly is. Once she left for the cloister the story took off and I went along with it. Quick's writing grabs you and transports you to the picturesque towns and cities of Italy. The story had humor, fluidity, science, religion, and a lovely romance to cheer for. What this book had is an unforgettable character, Alessandra. To know such a young, idealistic woman existed back then is remarkable, as was she. Her persistence and determination were admirable, making her a true role model for girls everywhere. The author explains thoroughly how she researched and traveled to depict a truthful Alessandra. The end result is this jem of a book. Highly recommended.
A FAVORITE SCENE: Alessandra is not the type of girl to have her heads in the clouds, but when she sees Otto for the first time she feels different. When he moves into the same house as her, in the room next door, their friendship intensifies. I loved the scene in the water but it was too long to put in here so I chose another wonderful scene.
“When he sat with her, late into the night—as they parsed Latin together and she could feel the heat of him so close to her—her head swam with the frustration and unfairness of it. More than once she leaned so close that her lips nearly brushed his cheek. But every time she stopped herself, pushing herself up from the bench where they sat to go outside and gulp the cool night air—or simply telling Otto that she was too sleepy to study anymore.
Then she’d lie in her bed alone, thinking about him—there, just on the other side of the wall.”
(pages 197-198 in the ARC)
RATING: ++++1/2
FOR FANS OF: Historical fiction; strong female characters.
REVIEWED BY: Laurie
BOOK SOURCE: Traveling ARC Tours
This sounds very interesting. I love books with strong and defiant female protagonists. I am glad though that the paces picks up because I am not patient with slow moving plots. Enjoyed your review.
ReplyDeleteHi Laurie,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the beautiful review of my novel! I've been thrilled at the warm reception A GOLDEN WEB has been getting in the YA blogosphere.
Let me know if you'd like to do an author interview or book give-away (my publicist at HarperCollins can help you with that).
In the meantime, you might enjoy reading my 2007 novel, VIVALDI'S VIRGINS. There's a book trailer on my website--and a host of author interviews and bonus information on my HarperCollins microsite. Go to http://www.BarbaraQuick.com
to see the book trailer. Click on the cover image of A GOLDEN WEB to go to the microsite.
Hugs,
Barbara
To learn the story of the real girl behind the beautiful face on the cover of A GOLDEN WEB, go to
ReplyDeletehttp://askthewriter.blogspot.com/