Sarah dunant has 26 books on goodreads with 262346 ratings. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading sacred hearts. Story of italian renaissances most infamous family, the borgias. Acclaimed novelist of the italian renaissance sarah dunant now takes on the eras most infamous family. At the beginning of 1502, it seems that nothing can stand in the way of the familys. A novel kindle edition by sarah dunant author format. She has two daughters, and lives in london and florence. Bbc radio 4 book at bedtime, sarah dunant blood and beauty. Jul 23, 20 sarah dunants new novel, blood and beauty, her fourth set in the italian renaissance, tells the story of cardinal rodrigo borgia as he tries to build a dynasty after becoming pope. Sarah dunant is a renowned english writer along with being a broadcaster and critic. Sep 09, 20 acclaimed novelist of the italian renaissance sarah dunant now takes on the eras most infamous family. Apr 03, 2014 blood and beauty by the accomplished sarah dunant is a romp through renaissance rome which provoked much divergent discussion at our book group. May 30, 20 robert glenister reads blood and beauty by sarah dunant. Marshaling a mass of material, including contemporary.
British novelist, broadcaster, and critic sarah dunant is well known on both sides of the pond for her bestselling series of mysteries featuring sleuth hannah wolfe. A tale inspired by the lives of borgia siblings lucretia and cesare traces the familys rise in the aftermath of rodrigo borgias rise to the papacy, during which war, a terrifying sexual plague, and the familys notorious reputation forge an intimate bond between brother and sister. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading blood and beauty. A decade before her dazzling breakthrough novel, the birth of venus, author sarah dunant won britains prestigious silver dagger award for fatlands, a hannah wolfe. Blood and beauty by the accomplished sarah dunant is a romp through renaissance rome which provoked much divergent discussion at our book group. By the end of the fifteenth century, the beauty and creativity of. Sign up to our emails to be the first to know about new releases, the latest news from sarah dunant, and take part in exclusive subscriber competitions and surveys.
In her first three she steered clear of famous figures and gave us stories of strong, ordinary women, so an epic novel about the notorious borgia family is something of a departure. Rooted in the energetic, brutal and corrupt world of 15thcentury italy, blood and beauty opens with cardinal rodrigo borgia. Sarahs monthly history program and podcast on history can be found via the bbc website. Blood and beauty is dunants tenth novel, and her fourth to be set in renaissance italy. The plots were of course intriguing and characters were fascinating though there were many questions about their authenticity and the detail of their lives. The plots were of course intriguing and characters were fascinating though there were many questions about their authenticity and the detail of. Sarah dunant, the bestselling author of the birth of venus and in the company of the courtesan, brings this intricate renaissance world compellingly to life. By the end of the fifteenth century, the beauty and creativity of italy is. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
If you were a spare daughter in medieval ferrara it was cheaper to pay the dowry to get you into a convent than it was to pay a marriage dowry and if you had the voice of an. Her earlier novels include three hannah wolfe crime thrillers, as well as snowstorms in a hot climate, transgressions, and mapping the edge, all three of which are available as random house. Bbc radio 4 book at bedtime, sarah dunant blood and. Both books are well written, full of historical facts and just enough imagination to keep the story interesting and this book, and in the name of the family, also by sarah dunant, are the first i.
The big, bad borgia dynasty undergoes modern reconsideration in the bestselling british authors epic new biofiction. See all 9 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Buy a cheap copy of fatlands book by walter mosley. Beginning when cardinal rodrigo borgia is elected pope alexander vi, the reader is submersed into the intrigue and scandal of a medieval papal court. After a brief spell working for the bbc, she spent much of her twenties traveling japan, india, asia and central and south america before starting to write. She was born in london and studied history at cambridge. Now sarah dunant turns her discerning eye to one of the worlds most intriguing and infamous. Her research is obviously meticulous and her characters jump off the page and grab you. Sarah dunant books list of books by author sarah dunant. As an acclaimed author of italian historical novels, it was only a matter of time until sarah dunant turned her attention to the notorious borgia. It tells the story of a woman living alone in a rambling house in north london in which strange things start to happen scratch any novel and you find not only the writers fears but perhaps even the house she lives in.
Dawn is a pale bruise rising in the night sky when, from inside the palace, a window is flung open and a face appears, its features distorted by the firelight thrown up from the torches beneath. With her first historical novel, the birth of venus, dunant explores another scene. At the beginning of 1502, it seems that nothing can stand in the way of the familys influence, which creeps its way across italy, subduing its rivals with a blend of charm and. I have had a few sarah dunant books sitting on the shelf for longer than i care to admit and with the start of my mount tbr challenge, i decided.
Sarah dunants new novel, blood and beauty, her fourth set in the italian renaissance, tells the story of cardinal rodrigo borgia as he tries to build a dynasty after becoming pope. Transgressions by sarah dunant and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. We are supplying e books, eaudiobooks and telegraph custom gift books as normal. Sarah was raised by her father david dunant, who was a steward for the welsh airlines and later became a manager at the british airways along with his wife estelle who. The borgias, novelist sarah dunant explores the story of the. This is the longawaited sequel to sarah dunants wonderful blood and beauty, which takes up the story of the borgias once again in the final years of their dominance in italy. In her evocation of this scene in blood and beauty, her novel about the notorious borgias, sarah dunant sends papal guards rushing to save their lord, throwing themselves onto the pile. Dunant opens a window into the extraordinary machinations and skullduggery of the borgias and provides us with a richness of description that beautifully locates them within their own time. The plots were of course intriguing and characters were fascinating though there were many questions. I know that i am in for a serious read when i start one of her books. Sarah dunant paints a fascinating picture of renaissance italy and the human dramas of the scheming borgias stephanie merritt sat 25 may 20 10.
She was born on 8 august 1950 in london, england and lived there until she went to college. Sarah dunants blood and beauty, the fourth of her italian historical novels and the initial instalment in what is planned to be a twopart saga, is. Sarah dunant is the author of the international bestsellers the birth of venus, in the company of the courtesan, and sacred hearts, which have received major acclaim on both sides of the atlantic. Beginning when cardinal rodrigo borgia is elected pope alexander vi, the reader is submersed into the intrigue and scandal of. Robert glenister reads blood and beauty by sarah dunant. Rooted in the energetic, brutal and corrupt world of 15thcentury italy, blood and beauty opens with cardinal rodrigo borgia, clever and charismatic, buying his way to the papal crown. Blood and beauty, sarah dunant girl with her head in a. By the end of the fifteenth century, the beauty and creativity of italy is matched only by its brutality and corruption. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read blood and beauty. Amid sacred hearts is a rich, engrossing, multifaceted love story, encompassing the passions of the flesh, the exultation of the spirit, and the deep, enduring power of friendship. Sarah dunant has previously been known for sinuously plotted psychological thrillers, such as transgressions 1997 and mapping the edge 1999, as well as for her highly entertaining crime fiction featuring private investigator hannah wolfe more recently, however, she has established a reputation for sophisticated, sensual historical novels, with a best selling trilogy set respectively in. May 25, 20 sarah dunant paints a fascinating picture of renaissance italy and the human dramas of the scheming borgias stephanie merritt sat 25 may 20 10.
A decade before her dazzling breakthrough novel, the birth of venus, author sarah dunant won britains prestigious silver dagger award for fatlands, a hannah wolfe mystery. Eclipsing her earlier period novels in scope, dunants sacred hearts, 2009, etc. Sarah dunant never disappoints, i have read many of her novels and enjoyed them all. I love the books of sarah dunant and sacred hearts does not disappoint. The borgias are arguably the most intriguing and ruthless family in all of history, and dunant brings them ravishingly, bristlingly to life. May 02, 20 sarah dunant is one of my favorite writers of historical fiction, and i was happy to see that she had written about this family and piece of history. Sarah dunant has written three acclaimed novels of renaissance italy in which she consciously narrowed her focus to the longconcealed stories of ordinary women on the margins rather than following what she termed the historical celebrity version of life. Sarah dunant paints a fascinating picture of renaissance italy and the human dramas of the scheming borgias stephanie merritt sat 25 may 20. Browse author series lists, sequels, pseudonyms, synopses, book covers, ratings and awards. Sarah dunant is a cultural commentator, awardwinning thriller writer and author of five novels set in renaissance italy exploring womens lives through art, sex and religion.
On the heels of an increased interest in the borgia family, dunant follows with her newest novel, an exploration of the house of borgia reflecting what she avers is more the modern historical perspective on them. Sarah dunant has visited the turbulent beauty of the italian renaissance before, in rich historical novels like the birth of venus. Jun 20, 20 in the 1500s, italy was bursting with some of the most influential and vivid figures in history. By the end of the fifteenth century, the beauty and creativity of italy is matched by its brutality and corruption, nowhere more than in rome and in the church. A novel of machiavelli and the borgias this is the longawaited sequel to sarah dunants wonderful blood and beauty, which takes up the story of the borgias once again in the final years of their dominance in italy.