Set in Florence and the area around the Black Sea, beginning in 1474, this is the story of Bianca, oldest daughter of Giovanni Pietro d’Angelo, a Florentine silk merchant. When his son’s indiscretion threatens to ruin the family, Giovanni is blackmailed into giving Bianca in marriage to the debauched blackguard Sebastiano Rovere. Rovere treats his delicate new bride abysmally and she loathes and fears him.
Her mother, appalled at what has befallen her daughter, helps Bianca flee to a
seaside villa where she meets Prince Amir, grandson of Memhet the Conqueror. Two
years later, Bianca’s husband is murdered (I couldn’t have been happier), leaving
her free to find love with Amir. She wants no husband and would have him for
her lover, but neither Amir (who wants her for his 3rd wife) nor her
mother (who considers him an infidel) accepts that decision.
Ms. Small never holds back on the evil of others, so the beginning of
the book shows in vivid terms the perversions of Rovere. But once we are at the
sea cliff villa, beauty is restored. Amir is a gallant, romantic man who loves
Bianca. And Bianca has changed from the docile, obedient daughter to a strong woman
bent on her own destiny.
It’s a fascinating look at the culture of the day in both Florence and in the world of the merchants of the Black Sea. A good start to a new series for Ms. Small.
The Silk Merchant’s Daughters series:
Bianca
Francesca
Lucianna
Serena
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