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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Religious violence including bonfires, persecution, and executions under Savonarola
Language
Barely any
Literary prose; no profanity
Sexual Content
Some
An adult romantic relationship; some content, restrained
Substance Use
Barely any
None
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The psychological weight of watching beauty destroyed by fanaticism
What this book is about
Alessandra Cecchi, the daughter of a wealthy Florentine merchant, falls in love with the painter her father has commissioned to decorate their chapel—just as Savonarola's bonfire of the vanities threatens to destroy the world of beauty and learning she loves. Sarah Dunant's Renaissance novel is richly atmospheric and adult in its content.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
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