A Golden Web

March 29, 2010
In this historical novel about anatomist Allessandra Giliani, Alessandra dreams of investigating the inner workings of the human body and studying medicine in 14th-century Bologna. The problem, of course, is that Alessandra is a girl. In her first book for teens, adult author Quick (Vivaldi's Virgins
) highlights the many obstacles that stand between Alessandra and her dreams—parental desire to marry her well, disapproval of women studying, being cloistered to protect one's virtue, the physical danger of clandestinely entering the world of men. Quick is perhaps too thorough in establishing the many walls Alessandra faces, but once Alessandra contrives to study in Bologna, the story flows quickly. Alessandra's intellectual curiosity is wonderfully depicted, her philosophical musings are entertaining, and her commitment to the pursuit of biological knowledge enlivens the plot. Quick's prose is fluid and authentic, bright and engaging. At times, this novel is predictable (there is an evil stepmother, and Alessandra dresses as a boy in Bologna), but as Alessandra's reputation builds as one of the city's most gifted students, and she gets the guy, it is ultimately satisfying. Ages 12–up.

May 1, 2010
Gr 6 Up-By age 12, Alessandra Giliani has learned that "half the trick of being a smart girl is learning how to hide it," for fear of being branded a witch. Set in 14th-century Italy, "A Golden Web" follows her as she ditches the trappings of her wealthy family and retires to a convent to avoid marriage at age 15. Alessandra has a love of science and finds herself "excited by things that no girl has the right or need to know." With the help of her older brother, she leaves the convent disguised as Sandro, a young medical student, and engages in the fledgling study of anatomy in Bologna. Sandro is quickly seen as a brilliant student, and she becomes a prosector. After overcoming her initial squeamishness, she devotes herself to dissection and the study of the human body, not only with the close observance of corpses, but also by reading the few available books and venturing into the midwives' district to learn from the "women healers" as well. Sandro's secret is threatened by a jealous student, and again when a study partner stirs romantic feelings, and the ending is not one of happily ever after. At times focused on historical detail, at others resembling a toned-down bodice ripper, this novel is a quick read for those who like romantic fiction."Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2010
Grades 7-10 Being female in fourteenth-century Italy is difficult, but for brilliant Alessandra Giliani, it is especially frustrating. As a child, she learns to disguise herself as a boy to ride and hunt. As a young adult, she flees to Bologna to escape her stepmother and an arranged marriage, and in her male disguise, she studies to become a medico, a dangerous ruse that becomes even more perilous when she falls in love with a fellow student. In her first YA novel, adult author Quick explores womens issues at a time when most girls were denied basic literacy, much less the training to become a physician. Although much of Alessandras good fortune feels too coincidental to be easily believed, Quick has crafted an absorbing story about a delightful, courageous, intelligent young woman determined to make a difference in a time when women could be burned for societal rebellion far less dramatic than acquiring an education. Whether or not Alessandra actually existed (it is debatable), her story provides an entertaining platform for a discussion of womens history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)