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There are currently 42 member reviews
for The Daughter of Siena
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Vivian H. (Winchester, VA)
Enjoyable Historical Romance with Intrigue
The Daughter of Siena is a book I couldn't put down. Having spent my honeymoon in Tuscany with several days in Siena, I came to love this medieval city and thoroughly enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the contrade, the historic rivalries, the hatred of the Medici, the intrigue caused by the papacy and the political machinations surrounding the Palio, the horse race held twice each summer in the Piazza del Campo.
This tale involves political and family plotting and intrigue, murder, torture, love, romance, mystery, patricide, infanticide, a damsel in distress, vote rigging, allegorical artwork, an appreciation of horses and always, the city of Siena. Women in early 18th Century Italy were pawns – used to marry off for political or financial advantage and treated as chattel. But in this story we are introduced to two women of substance – Pia and Violetta – both strong and compassionate survivors; both enduring unfathomable heartache; both looking to Bruno – a farrier’s son as a savior. Was the story predictable? Yes. Did it matter? Not really. I will certainly look for other works by Marina Fiorato.
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Margaret D. (Brookfield, VT)
Really good vacation read :-)
Marina Fiorato penned a fine historical look at the 1700s in a politically charged Siena. The description of the physical city is captivating. The characters, human and equine, are intriguing. While some of the tale is predictable, on the whole it kept my interest with its unexpected twists. I thoroughly enjoy novels that pique my interest to go look up the actual history of a time, an event, etc.. In this case: contradas, the Palio, and a relook at the reviled Medicis!
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Carol C. (Troy, NY)
Daughter of Siena
'Daughter of Siena' held my attention throughout with its history of the Palio and the vivid descriptions of Siena. While many of the twists and turns of the story were foreseeable, that did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. A very entertaining read.
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Portia A. (Mount Laurel, NJ)
An engaging story
I got this book on Thursday and finished it on Saturday. The plotting was just a little too pat but the story is gripping and the writing made for a very good reading experience..in other words I couldn't put it down.
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Christine L. (Centerport, NY)
I very enjoyable read
This book was a pleasure but not a page turner and a tad bit slow. It wasn't as deeply emotionally satisfying as I had hoped for, however, it was well researched and held my interest. It's more of a romance novel than historical fiction and it fell a little short in both catagories for me. I really enjoyed the historical facts surrounding Sienna and horsemanship. I did learn a lot about that area of Italy in that time period. I liked the characters but felt they could have been more developed. It was enjoyable and I I would recommend it as a beach read but I'm not one for "beach reading". I like a lot more meat and substance in the shade.
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Kristine I. (Carmel, IN)
The Daughter of Sienna
This book started a bit slow for me but quickly got my attention. I enjoyed the historical aspects of the book enough to look some facts up on line. While the author did a good job of making the city of Sienna come alive to me, I found that the story was somewhat predictable. If the characters had been more multi-dimensional, it would have allowed for some more interesting plot twists. It was a quick and enjoyable read, but I did not find myself thinking about it much after I was finished.
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Colleen T. (Lakewood, CO)
Daughter of Siena
Average story with some interesting twists. Would like to have seen more in depth character development.
