the secret book of grazia dei
rossi
by
Jacqueline Park
THE SECRET BOOK OF GRAZIA DEI ROSSI
is a sweeping tale of intrigue and
romance set in a time rife with court
politics, papal chicanery, religious
intolerance, and inviolable social
rules. Grazia, private secretary to the
world-renowned Isabella d'Este, is the
daughter of an eminent Jewish banker,
the wife of the pope's Jewish physician,
and the lover of a Christian prince. In
a "secret book," written as a legacy for
her son, she records her struggles to
choose between the seductions of the
Christian world and a return to the
family, traditions, and duties of her
Jewish roots. As she re-creates
Renaissance Italy in captivating detail,
Jacqueline Park gives us a timeless
portrait of a brave and brilliant woman
trapped in an unforgiving, inflexible
society.
Reviews
"Wonderful. An absolutely
fascinating, compulsively readable novel
about a 16th-century woman who would be
considered outstanding in any era."
--Sue
Miron, The Miami Herald
"Park has fashioned a
dense, sweeping narrative."
--Lauren
Belfer, The New York Times Book
Review
"A sprawling historical
novel that boasts its research on every
page."
--Elizabeth
Renzetti, The Toronto Globe and Mail
"An epic book... Park's
picture of the Renaissance is as
incandescent as Italy's frescoes."
--Chris
Ledbetter, Detroit Free Press
"One is reluctant to
close this window on a dramatic chapter
of the distant past, or to part company
with a woman so full of grace and
gumption."
--Marilyn
Chandler McEntyre, San Francisco
Chronicle Book Review
About the Author
Jacqueline Park is
the founding chairman of the Dramatic
Writing Program and professor emerita at
New York University's Tisch School of
the Arts. Born and educated in Canada,
she now lives in New York, Toronto, and
Miami Beach.
Learn more anout the book here!
