This book was not what I expected, but I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a very powerful, sombre and thematic novel that explores the abuse of power against women and the ongoing trauma of being someone else’s pawn.

Giulia was a character who grew into her own, through finding love to becoming a mother, after a terrifying and horrifying ordeal at a young age. She starts the novel vulnerable and manipulated and with no voice, but becomes a character who is able to rebuild her life and find her place.

The history was riveting; from Florence to Venice to Mantua. Mezzacappa takes the reader back in time to an authentic 16th century Italy, where power and money ruled all. It was interesting to read the author’s words and that the traumatic events at the start of the novel did happen and were the inspiration for the story. It provided clarity into why Mezacappa wrote this novel.

This was not a light read, and at times made me uncomfortable and angry. But this novel was written to address these issues and raise discussion. And I’m glad it did.

The Maiden of Florence felt different, original and an important read.

I like reading this book a lot! The Maiden of Florence is a well-researched and beautifully written book. It described Florence and Venice in the Medici era so impeccably! For a saga, the book is very fast-paced and I couldn't put the book down!

Thanks to Netgalley and Fairlight Books for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion.

A really good historical novel, based on the true story of a Giulia, an orphan taken from an orphanage to prove the virility of Vincenzo Gonzago, Katherine Mezzacappa gives a voice to Giulia. The story is told by both Giulia and the husband she marries after the event, Giulia tells it a letter to the mother she never knew.

A fascinating story, well researched but also enhanced by the authors writing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read The Maiden of Florence.

Reading through this I really wasn’t sure if I was enjoying it or not. I flew through it and it was easy to read but it almost felt like I was just reading cause it was in front of my face? I don’t know.

I did really enjoy the story, all the historical elements! So much of it was absolutely horrifying, especially in part one where Giulia is constantly being inspected (and yes I mean that in the very literal sense cause a prince is going come in and prove he can have sex with someone and so she definitely needs to be a virgin - I mean what the hell?!). It was really tough to read that, and having read the historical note at the end, while not much is known about what in particular occurred, the fact that this actually happened! I can’t even

What didn’t work for me was that it was written in this entire diary / journal / letter format. I’d have been fine with keeping the first person tense, but I felt very removed from how engrossed I was with the story every time Giulia, our narrator, addressed the reader - in this case her mother who she doesn’t know. I think is the main reason why I wasn’t sure I liked it. However, I loved the ending and definitely after having read about some of the real history around these events it made me look back on some parts a little differently.

I think this will be a bit of a polarising read!

I enjoyed the overall plot of the novel - We follow Giulia's life in her perspective, starting from when she was young and was essentially tricked into being sexually abused by the Prince. Although she was promised a sizable dowry and a husband, she lived the rest of her life being watched by Vinta. I was expecting the plot to stay sad but happy to see that Giulia found her happiness with Giuliano, who recovered Filippo for her and have done all he could to make her happy during their lives together. I did feel the ending was abrupt as we see a glimpse into Giulia potentially reuniting with her mother and learning about her real identity. Overall, plot was great but definitely some room for improvement in the writing as I've become lost at several points through the book.

This is a story of abuse. Told via the medium of letters to a mother she did not know, it is a mesmerising, yet brutally cruel story of exploitation and sexual abuse upon a young girl, who has spent her formative years in a orphanage in Florence.
Innocent in the ways of the world, and men especially, Giulia Albizzi is chosen for an important task, one that has the blessing of the Holy Church. She will give her virginity to a Prince, who had problems consummating his first marriage, in order to provide reassurance to the second bride, that everything is working as it should!! In return for this sacrifice, Giulia will be provided with enough money not to have to work again, and a husband will be provided for her.
The descriptions of this ordeal are pitiful and disturbing. She ends up pregnant, but is so very lucky in the husband she marries.
This story is pretty evenly balanced with both Giulia and her husband telling their story. I adore and salute the kindness and tenderness of the husband as he supports his wife throughout their long association together. He never makes her feel inferior.
A well researched story. These type of events happened in this country as well. In Norman times, there was a practice called “ Droit du Seigneur, which allowed feudal Lords to have the first sexual relations on the brides wedding night.
An interesting and compassionate read, quite emotional , despite the difficult subject matter.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Fairlight Books for my advanced digital copy, freely given in exchange for my honest opinion.
I will post to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication. A five star read.

I received this advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This novel really surprised me! I started it in the morning and by the evening I had finished the novel. It was a fascinating and well researched story about a young girl being manipulated by powerful men in Italy, and the writing was very captivating. I greatly enjoyed this novel! I recommend it to all those interested in historical fiction, as well as book clubs or those interested in reading about other times and cultures.

The Maiden of Florence was such an interesting read. It is a fictional account of a real girl, Giulia, an orphan who was offered up as a maiden for the Prince of Mantua to prove his virility. The book reads like a memoir, and is written mostly from the point of view of Giulia, with one part written from the POV of Giuliano. I really liked having two different voices in the narrative, and I think having Giuliano's perspective made it a bit lighter. Giulia's chapters are brutally honest about her trials and her harsh reality of being born a woman in Medici Florence. I was shocked when I reached the end to find the author's Historial Note saying that a good portion of the book was based on actual documents, including some of the quotes. Despite Giulia's despicable treatment by her "betters", her story is one of hope and resilience. If you're a historical fiction reader, or have an interest in 16th century Florence/Venice, I would definitely recommend this.

at first I wasn't too sure about this book, and up to around 30% of the way through I found it quite hard to read due to the tough subject matter. but once I got past all of that I found myself becoming more and more intrigued by the story- and I'll never say no to medieval Italy!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.

This was more moving than I thought it would be! I have read other similar stories set in Italy during the same time period, but this was quite different. For a start it was more graphic in quite an uncomfortable but not inappropriate way; secondly the language was simpler and less flowery which somehow made the story more vital and impactful. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

I have to say honestly that I did not enjoy the start of this book very much - but bear with it because by the end I was very invested! The beginning of the novel reads very factually about the unpleasant topic at the heart of the novel, namely the giving of a virgin orphan (Giulia) as a test to the prince of Mantua to prove his virility before he is married to Eleonora Medici. This is the historical fact around which the novel is based, but it makes for very hard reading initially - everything Giulia is put through is horrifying, even if likely to have happened. The novel really comes into its power though with the conclusion of this episode, where the fictional imagining takes life and sees Giulia married to Giuliano, a poor musician who is initially forced into taking her but quickly learns to see the good qualities of his new wife and to care for her. Reading from Giuliano’s point of view began to warm me to the characters. This doesn’t become a love story, however - the novel continues to show how the couple are still tied by forces outside of their control to that past event, and how they work to overcome it. It’s a very interesting and well written account of the times, and I do really enjoy reading about Renaissance Florence/Mantua/Venice.

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher, Fairlight Books, for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The cover and the blurb got me very interested. Unfortunately, it didn't held my attention for long. I found the writing a bit dul and the story in itself a bit boring. It reminded me of another book as well. I am sure other people will like it, it just wasn't for me.

The Maiden of Florence tells the story of Giulia, plucked from an orphanage in Florence to be used as an experiment to prove or disprove the virility of a prince marrying into the Medici family, and her subsequent life.

I was worried this would be a book that was very upsetting to read given the subject matter, and I would definitely urge anyone who needs to heed any trigger warnings regarding sexual assault to give this book a miss.

However if that's something you can deal with, there is also so much more to this story. I found myself rooting for Giulia and enjoyed hating the despicable minister Vinta, and the tension that his consistent presence in her life brought had me turning the pages long after I had other things to do.

Mezzacappa quite clearly sets out the myriad ways women were subjugated by the patriarchy at the time, and how so many women's lives were completely beholden to more powerful men, and one just had to hope they were moral and upstanding. In that vein, without giving anything away, Giulio was a standout character for me, I loved him.

It was easy to get lost in Florence, Mantua and Venice and I really enjoyed the scene setting and felt how important Giulia's faith was to processing and finding solace in her life, as did the other female characters, in what seems to be a very difficult time to be a woman.

I will post on socials nearer the publishing date on 11 April.

A beautifully written book, shining a light on an incredible historical story. The historical information seems well researched and the continuation of the story in fiction works really well. The characters are well rounded, and I was desperate to get through the story to find the twists.

Florence 1584, A prince, a marriage, the Medici family. Wow that is the way to get me to read a book. This is a strong story of the way life was in an era long ago, the way the rich and royal lived and how it affected everyone. This is a book based on true events and is quite the intriguing read. Historical, haunting, powerful and dramatic.

This is a very well researched and written book and kept me enthralled throughout. It is a history lesson but far better than reading an actual history book and for that reason I really enjoyed it. A great read and one I do recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Fairlight Books for giving me the opportunity to read adn review this book.

I really loved this book! I read a lot of historical fiction and I have a particular interest in 15-1600s history. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this unique a premise in this genre! Reminiscent of Sarah Dunant, I loved the personalized yet completely time-logical way of speaking from the main character as we weave through her life. Giuliano…what a guy! It made me so happy to see their marriage.
This poignant tale of what a woman’s body means in the hands of men, and the deeper thread of power and sexuality, has strong ties to modern issues.

Thank you NetGalley! A must read for hist fic friends

I love historical fiction like this. You read it and you wonder what was factual and what was fiction. I play the guessing game with myself and this time, I was dead wrong about what was fiction and I was thrilled. Early on, you want to know what happens to the orphan who is taken out of the orphanage for the Grand Duke and why she (and her husband) are telling the story. It is a crash course in history, politics and culture all at once while also being a fascinating story about so many different people. It definitely has me more interested in this area and time period now that I've read this book and I'll be looking for more information and stories.

really interesting historical fiction, well done. thanks so so much for the arc, and i would recommend this one quite a lot.

Reminded me very much of The Marriage Portrait, for this reason I didn’t enjoy it as much as I think I would have done had I read this first. Enjoyable read.

The author clearly loves her chosen period and the depth of research was my favourite aspect of this novel. It explores a fascinating episode in history and I was glad to learn more about it. The repeated indignities Giulia has to suffer every few pages in the first part of the book started to feel quite gratuitous and voyeuristic (the reader gets the point after the fourth or fifth gynaecological examination…)