Synopses & Reviews
Throughout his life, the famed 14th-century poet Dante was politically active, often choosing the wrong side in internecine battles of the ruling families, forcing him constantly to abandon his family and even his country while seeking refuge. Finally his poetry won him peace and patronage in Ravenna. His one daughter, Beatrice, attended him during the last few years of his life and eventually became a Dominican nun. Kimberley Heuston, a historian by training and winner of The Washington Post's 2002 Top 10 Kids Books Award, has meticulously researched Dante's life and times in order to create this fictional account of the great poet's daughter in the decades preceding the Italian Renaissance. In lush detail, she traces the life of an intelligent and talented young woman in a time when a woman's role required neither intelligence nor talent. In spite of that, Beatrice traveled extensively, learned an art, and devoted her full life to her work and her god. Dante's Daughter brings a human scale to famous figures of history, and breathes life into the events of those turbulent times.
Review
Engrossing. . . . A vivid embroidery.” --Kirkus Reviews
Review
A fascinating glimpse of early feminism.” --Booklist
Review
The illumination of a great mind through the eyes and voice of a daughter will appeal to teens, who will discover an appealing heroine, a wealth of historical information, and a deeper understanding of the Divine Comedy.” --School Library Journal
Synopsis
When political upheaval forces her family to flee and separate, Antonia takes her brother's advice to heart as she journeys through Italy and France with her father, the poet Dante Alighieri. She becomes a pilgrim who also embraces interior journeys: she struggles with her difficult, inattentive father; with her heart's desire to paint as her father writes; and with her first tastes of young love. All the while Antonia harbors dreams that others tell her women are not entitles to dream. Dante's Daughter portrays a life in full, one that beautifully answers Antonia's own questions: "Had my journey made me wise? Had my secret griefs made me strong?" This highly imagined story--based on the few known facts of Antonia's life--is set against the dramatic background of pre-Renaissance Europe, rendered in rich detail by storyteller and historian Kimberley Heuston.
About the Author
Kimberley Heuston was born in Provo, Utah, and grew up in New York City. During her childhood, her family frequently visited St. Johnsbury, Vermont, which became the setting for her first novel, The Shakeress. Ms. Heuston teaches European history and recently received her MFA from Norwich University. She lives in Sandy, Utah.