About the book
Through exhaustive historical accuracy and the addition of an impressive setting, the role of women is reflected in their absolute subordination to men. They are passed on without remedy from parents to husbands, sons or brothers; except for honourable exceptions that break the rule, but at the risk of being confined behind the cold stone walls of a convent by being widowed or single for life. Without a voice or vote to choose their own destiny, and in many cases they have to focus on being a kind of breeding cow of the human species. With the aim of continuing to live despite the intrinsic difficulties of an invariably dangerous birth. Both for the mother and the new newborn.
In this very extensive historical novel we also discover various characters taken to the limit with pederasty, and with very tragic results, the excessive artistic and financial ambition, the misery, the lack of hygiene and the hunger with a capital F of the beggars and too many peasants. And with vices as unspeakable at that time as homosexuality. To this we must add the obsession of too many men, religious or secular, to relax in brothels with women of the life forced to practice the so-called oldest profession in the world. Also added are heinous violent acts, in the form of crimes carried out by means of poisonous snakes, as well as the cold ordering of murders and torture. As a special section of black chronicle, the bloody action of the bandits is added. They used to show their greater or lesser degree of aggressiveness on the roads traveled by the most defenseless travelers.
The way in which that society dealt with illnesses in daily life deserves a separate chapter, when it was absolutely useless to pray and autosuggest with the supposed heavenly help. Traditionally, it was expected through supernatural events encouraged from the pulpits of the temples, despite the fact that many people carried a lucky charm as popular as a dried rabbit’s foot. And from the hand of an exceptional Egyptian doctor with a Tuscan mother, born in Alexandria, we can learn about the different treatments he offered to people literally trapped, in their utter ignorance, by prejudices of a spiritual nature and atavistic fears of everything new.
Fictional characters from all walks of life cross paths in this novel, with the added benefit of exhaustive historical accuracy. Essential for portraying a turbulent era of endless fears of illness and events considered supernatural. At the same time, the most beautiful region of Italy serves as an unrivalled setting for showing the greatness and misery of human beings.
It is during the season of flowers that the author surprises us with the most unpredictable twists in the fate of his protagonists. On the other hand, he guides us to transmit a high degree of sensations of all kinds. Even at the risk of shocking the sensitivity of some people.
Love, hate, terror, deceit, the most sophisticated and brutal sex, broken friendships, and various abuses committed against women, all come together here. They emerge in pages that will not leave anyone who reads them indifferent.
We must not forget that in that distant Four hundredor 15th century, forgeries of works of art, relics, and the most diverse objects of supposed Greek, Roman, and medieval origin sprang up like mushrooms.
As for the final fate of the various fictional protagonists of the novel, it is worth noting that it is far from being something presumable because it depends on chance. It is intended to surprise readers; although, obviously, to the extent that this is probable.
Source: https://algunoslibrosbuenos.com/toscana