sophiemlpink's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
brimiller's review
I think the audiobook was just too hard to follow and I just didn’t have the ambition to pay attention. I will try with the physical book again sometime.
ryner's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A skilled neurosurgeon, Beatrice Trovato must to take a sudden sabbatical when her older brother Ben suddenly passes away. She travels to Siena, Italy, where Ben had been researching the Bubonic Plague epidemic of 1347, and despite her heartbreak immediately immerses herself in collecting his research notes and putting his affairs in order. One afternoon, while paging through the journal of a 12th-century Sienese artist, Beatrice is pulled into the past — a past where the Bubonic Plague is mere months away.
This is a creative and engaging story from a period in time I haven't read a lot about. While Winawer handled the writing beautifully, there were a few small things that grated on me. First and most noticeably, the foreshadowing was about as subtle as a brick through a window, and a few plot points felt forced/contrived and therefore unrealistic. I was also irritated by the need to explain to the reader how words were pronounced. (Please do not underestimate the reader's intelligence!) Some plot points were contradictory: for example, Beatrice is purportedly knowledgeable about the Italian language but then is surprised by how a word is pronounced (this was too obviously for the reader's benefit — Italian is such a language that no one with even passing knowledge of it would be surprised by pronunciation). Speaking of language, a native Italian speaker would recognize immediately that Beatrice wasn't a native speaker, not even one "from Lucca." Lastly, and this made me chuckle, I can't help but wonder where an Italian street vendor procured squash in the mid-1300s! I enjoyed this novel more or less via brute force, struggling against the many small irritants throughout.
This is a creative and engaging story from a period in time I haven't read a lot about. While Winawer handled the writing beautifully, there were a few small things that grated on me. First and most noticeably, the foreshadowing was about as subtle as a brick through a window, and a few plot points felt forced/contrived and therefore unrealistic. I was also irritated by the need to explain to the reader how words were pronounced. (Please do not underestimate the reader's intelligence!) Some plot points were contradictory: for example, Beatrice is purportedly knowledgeable about the Italian language but then is surprised by how a word is pronounced (this was too obviously for the reader's benefit — Italian is such a language that no one with even passing knowledge of it would be surprised by pronunciation). Speaking of language, a native Italian speaker would recognize immediately that Beatrice wasn't a native speaker, not even one "from Lucca." Lastly, and this made me chuckle, I can't help but wonder where an Italian street vendor procured squash in the mid-1300s! I enjoyed this novel more or less via brute force, struggling against the many small irritants throughout.
kbaj's review against another edition
4.0
Fun historical fiction novel that doesn't tie itself into twists about magic and science.
bananas_books's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sunstreamer's review against another edition
4.0
i haven't enjoyed a book as much as this in a while ☺️
attytheresa's review against another edition
4.0
Thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction time travel novel! A modern day gifted neurosurgeon living in NYC, Beatrice finds herself in Siena after her brother's sudden death, continuing his historical research into the Plague in medieval Siena, and suddenly finding herself transported back to Siena in 1347, mere months before the Plague arrives. There is a mystery to solve (has nothing to do with the 20th Century death that sends Beatrice to Siena), and a romance, but most of all Winawer succeeds through most of the story to pull you into the everyday medieval world.
The only reason this did not get 5 stars from me is that there were a few times during the story that I thought it floundered a bit, that the author struggled to connect one part of the story to another, thus disrupting what otherwise is a rip roaring wonderful read! And it's her first novel too!
Read as my book with alliteration in the title for 2018 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge, it would also fit the time travel prompt and even country that fascinates you as I definitely want to visit Siena after this! Also fit 2018 ATY #36. Book published in 2017 by an author I haven't read before.
The only reason this did not get 5 stars from me is that there were a few times during the story that I thought it floundered a bit, that the author struggled to connect one part of the story to another, thus disrupting what otherwise is a rip roaring wonderful read! And it's her first novel too!
Read as my book with alliteration in the title for 2018 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge, it would also fit the time travel prompt and even country that fascinates you as I definitely want to visit Siena after this! Also fit 2018 ATY #36. Book published in 2017 by an author I haven't read before.
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
4.0
A 2017 staff favorite recommended by Susie. Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sscribe%20of%20siena%20winawer__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold
terrim21's review against another edition
3.0
i liked this book well enough to finish it. i felt like there was more to gabriele. he easily accepted beatrice's explanation of how she ended up in the time and place she did. and then when he let her into his head, so to speak, again so easily. it begs for a sequel, to maybe flesh him out more...
sarahtonin_099's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75