Description
In the summer of 1465, fourteen-year-old Annalisa de Torriano reluctantly travels with her family to her father’s new estate near the village of Vinci. Although she misses her privileged life, and the wealthy Matteo, in magnificent Florence, Annalisa is soon entranced by the freedom the countryside offers—and by the brilliant and charming young King of the Forest, Leonardo da Vinci, who, alongside his beloved companion Dante, quickly befriends her. Mesmerised by Leo’s intelligence and beauty, an infatuated Annalisa starts to dream of a different life. But her dreams are an illusion, and as her relationship with Leo unfolds, it is Dante who will change all their lives forever.
Review
Set around Florence in the summer of 1465, fourteen-year-old Annalisa is not happy when her family insist on staying on their newly purchased farm in some sleepy hollow town called Vinci.
But Annalisa was wrong about staying in Vinci. When visiting the forest, she is taken by the brilliance of a young man called Leo that she meets. With the help of Leo’s friend Dante,who Annalisa’s father declares a suitable chaperone, they soon spend a lot of time together and Annalisa is quickly under the spell of Leo, who sees the world from a different perspective to everyone else.
But does Leo have the same feelings? This becomes important when Annalisa’s father declares her impending marriage to an important young banker in Florence. Can Annalisa get him to change his mind?
I particularly loved the setting and the exploration of the culture of the time - the importance of power, wealth, the family name and marrying for strong family connections. Women and girls had no say, their father or husband ruled their life, and everything was to be left to the first born son - and those following needed to find their own way. An abysmal situation really!
Though fictional, the highlight was the exploration of the exceptional mind of Leonardo DaVinci. Always asking questions and wanting to know how anything and everything worked, setting him up for the future brilliant discoveries and inventions that he made. This is an intriguing story that will be best suited to readers aged 11 to 14.
Reviewed by Rob
