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    The Towers of Tuscany
    The Towers of Tuscany
    The Towers of Tuscany
    Audiobook10 hours

    The Towers of Tuscany

    Written by Carol M. Cram

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Sofia is trained in secret as a painter in her father’s workshop during a time when women did not paint openly. She loves her work, but her restless spirit leads her to betray her extraordinary gifts to marry a man who comes to despise her for not producing a son.

    After Sofia’s father is crushed by his own fresco during an attack motivated by a vendetta, Sofia realizes she must escape her loveless marriage. She flees to Siena, where, disguised as a boy, she paints again. When her work attracts the notice of a nobleman who discovers the woman under the dirty smock, Sofia is faced with a choice that nearly destroys her.

    Meticulously researched settings and compelling characters are united with a strong heroine in this rich portrait of medieval Italy.

    Revised edition: This edition of The Towers of Tuscany includes editorial revisions.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateDec 16, 2014
    ISBN9781491587430
    The Towers of Tuscany
    Author

    Carol M. Cram

    Before her debut as a critically acclaimed author of historical fiction, Carol M. Cram wrote dozens of bestselling college textbooks for courses in computer applications and communications. She served on the faculty at Capilano University in North Vancouver, Canada, for over two decades, and also facilitated numerous workshops for corporate and government clients in her role as vice president of Clear Communication Consultants. Carol holds an MA in drama from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh. She lives on Bowen Island near Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband, painter Gregg Simpson.

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    Reviews for The Towers of Tuscany

    3.5/5

    26 ratings8 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      I greatly enjoyed this novel featuring a female painter, Sofia Barducci, from 14th century San Gimignano. Because of her sex, it cannot be known that she paints, and her works fulfil commissions charged to her father's workshop. When we join the novel, she is married to Giorgio Carelli and has to paint in secret as he disapproves (her work with her father takes place in flashback sections). Tragedy of various sorts ensues, betrayals and murders, and Sofia flees her hometown and settles in Siena, disguised as a young boy so as to paint in the workshop of Luca Manzini, a friend of her father's. Further drama ensues (I won't give spoilers here), capped by the tragedy of the black death descending on the cities and towns of Tuscany. The novel also contains many lovely descriptions of the Tuscan countryside and brought back to my mind several great holidays I spent there in the 1990s. If I had a (minor) criticism, it would be that there are sometimes slightly too many technical descriptions of the mixing of paints and preparations of panels, etc., but they do at least show the complexity of the painter's art and the degree of patience it required.
    • 3/5
      I’m pretty ambivalent on this book. I adored the details on the ins and outs of medieval painting in 1330’s Italy; some of the historical details I got were lovely. But that main character really needs to be go.The author did an incredible job at world-building and got the details right for her main character’s chosen profession. From the smaller details on how painting armor was done to the massively labor intensive work that went into one simple panel, I was kept spellbound by this world of color and design. The emerging world of Renaissance painting came to life under this author’s pen with wonderful detail. However, the author lost me quickly with her main character. I admired Sofia’s passion for painting and her spunk in actually going through with cross-dressing to be able to paint. But that’s where my liking the main character ended and quickly. She’s brash, stuck-up, and frankly a bitch. I felt that she was only focused on her art and being able to do it; God protect the poor fools who were trying to help her hide her identity so she could do so. She didn't appreciate them at all. In one scene in particular that I remember, she actually bemoans the fact that a character has “abandoned” her as he fights for his life against brigands. WTF?!I think in the end the book evens out to somewhere in the middle. The author does a good job in showcasing the emerging world of Italian Renaissance painting and in describing the grueling work to create such beauty. However, I felt she fell off the cliff in her characterization department. I enjoyed some of the secondary characters, but Sofia just needs to fall off that same cliff… It was a good read but I don’t feel I’d recommend it unless you’re very hard up for medieval/Renaissance Italy historical fiction.Note: Book received for free from publisher via GoodReads First Reads program in exchange for honest review.
    • 4/5
      Loving Italy as I do I had to read this book. What a delight it turned out to be. It follows the life of Sofia, daughter of artist Antonio Barducci and wife of Giorgio Carelli and her journey to paint in a time where it was illegal for women to do so. After her fathers death, she escapes her life in San Gimignano to Sienna where she passes herself of as a boy so that she can paint freely. Sophia falls in love with a patron who guesses her secret. Just when life seems perfect her husband turns up to force her to return home. Sophia battles a loveless marriage, children and eventually the plague in this story. The historical background is flawless, although Sophia herself is a fictitious character. This is a really well told story and it was a pleasure to read.
    • 3/5
      Overall, I enjoyed reading this, even though I didn't like any of the characters and they felt rather flat despite great potential. It was also a bit disconcerting for me that all these characters just appeared and disappeared somewhat randomly, without much development in their relationship with Sofia...but on the other hand, maybe that's closer to real life than a novel. The description of the plague was powerful, and that's what sticks with me the most, in addition to the techniques of painting and the general violence of the day.
    • 4/5
      This is Sofia’s story. She is a young lady in Italy during the 14th century. She is married to a horrid husband, but she finds a way to escape. Sofia is blessed with a talent. She can paint and she has been trained by one of the best painters, her father. Sofia must find her way in a man’s world. I really enjoyed this story. I liked the information on the mixing of paints and the techniques used. The characters were easy to follow and well-developed with believable relationships. Sofia and her father had a wonderful relationship and her relationship with her sister is also a strong one. Then there is also the dreaded plague and it’s outcome. Families and relationships are not always blood relatives, but who you bond and care for in life. I give this book a 4 out of 5.
    • 4/5
      Sofia grew up learning and mastering her father's trade, painting. As the daughter of Antonio Barducci in 14th century Tuscany, Sofia now paints panels in secret for her father's business. Sofia has fallen into a loveless marriage at a young age to Giorgio, a man who has become upset that Sofia has not produced any sons for him. As Sofia's father dies in a tragic uprising, he tells her to take her latest panel and seek out Maestro Manzini in Siena. Sofia takes the chance to flee her unfulfilling life and husband, she ends up in Siena disguised as a boy, but having the chance to do the one thing she loves.The Towers of Tuscany is a rollercoaster of a historical fiction novel that quite literally paints an image of medieval Tuscany through the eyes of a young woman. The painting process and subject matter was rich in detail and well researched. Some of my favorite scenes from the book were when Sofia was reminiscing about the past as her father was giving her lessons in painting. Sofia is an interesting heroine. She makes many brave decisions, continuing to paint under her husbands nose, fleeing to Siena, dressing as a boy, and then revealing herself. While her journey is fascinating, a lot of the writing is Sofia's inner monologue where we learn that while her choices are daring, her reasoning seems very selfish or arrogant at times. Luckily, Sofia grows throughout the story and when the plague enters the scene, Sofia will make have to make life or death decisions. Overall, a lavishly done historical fiction novel about a female medieval painter who had to make very difficult decisions throughout her life. This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      The Towers of Tuscany takes place in 14th century Italy, with Sofia Barducci as the main character. Life was very hard in medieval times as it was but it was more so if you were a woman. Sofia's father is a painter of frescoes and Maesta's. Maesta's are paintings done of the Madonna and Child, done in panels and Sofia learned the techniques at her fathers knee. Of course since women weren't allowed to paint, Sofia would do some painting on these panels at the request of her father in secret. If she was found out she could be beat, jailed or worse. When her father dies, he requests that she go to a friend of his in Sienna with a piece of his work. Sofia desperately wants to continue painting but knows that this is an impossibility. She seeks her husbands permission to go to Sienna to deliver a piece of work and this gives her the opportunity to work in another workshop disguised as a boy. Sofia is a strong woman, knows what she wants and a loveless marriage is not it. She sets off against all odds to prove that the painting that she does is worth recognition, but of course like I said, women were not allowed to do that sort of thing. The place for a woman was home and hearth, raising the children, preferably sons. I love reading a historical fiction book that depicts a strong heroine and if I come away having learned a little bit, even better. I did learn a bit about painting that I didn't know. I knew what frescoes were but had no clue that a lot of the paintings of Madonna and Child were done in panels. With the vivid descriptions of colors and techniques, I could almost see the paintings come to life. The author obviously put a lot of time into research. I enjoyed the book immensely.I received a copy for review and was not monetarily compensated for my review.
    • 5/5
      A wonderful book worth reading. Carol M Cram has created a masterpiece. Sofia is a strong willed woman who wants to paint. Early Renaissance is the time, Italy the place. More specifically a small town called San Gimignano, the Tuscan city of towers. Sofia is painting in a time when women were encouraged to have children, clean the house and keep quiet. Very few women knew how to read and write, never mind paint. Each chapter begins with a short painting technique explained before the story proceeds.The reader is transported to another time. I found this book entertaining and educational. The action is ongoing throughout the story.5/5 stars for a very well written, and highly researched story!