Is this an Oprah book? It felt like an Oprah book. What does that mean? Well, to me, it means the book was fun, but felt a little too easy. Like beach reading with delusions of grandeur.

I'm not sure what it was that nagged at me throughout the book. Perhaps it was the slightly anachronistic voice of the narrator -- she sounded a little too modern to my ear, reminding me that I was reading a Historical Novel about an Independent Woman Ahead of Her Time. Perhaps it was because I couldn't put it down -- if it's that enthralling, it can't be good for me, right?

If nothing else it was enthralling. Bright, beautiful Florence at the end of the fifteenth century. A smart, sassy young woman dying to paint. A mysterious young artist on commission and a wealthy, handsome, middle-aged suitor. A fanatical priest breaking the Church into factions. Murders of "sinners." It's a coming-of-age story, layered with political and sexual intrigue, all set against a splendid oil backrop of Art, History, and Religion.