The Birth of Venus

Sarah Dunant mixes fact with fiction in this tale of late 15th century Florence. The tale centers on Alessandra Cecchi, a young girl changing into adulthood. She faces a loveless marriage to a much older man in exchange for the freedom to pursue an intellectual and artistic education. Florence is in chaos, as the artistic times of the de Medici Family are challenged by the fundamentalist monk, Savonarola, who wants to purge the city of its luxuries and change the "sinful" ways of its citizens. Meanwhile, the French are marching into the city and people are suffering from a plague. Dunant writes an interesting fictional story while supplying rich historical detail. Our Book Discussion Group discussed such relevant issues as religious fanaticism, torture and tatooing!