Daughter of Venice

January 19, 2004
A 14-year-old girl in the late 16th century wants to see Venice and receive the same education as her brothers. So she disguises herself as a boy and leads readers on a tour of historical Venice and its complex society and government. Ages 12-up.

Starred review from March 1, 2002
Gr 7-10-As the daughter of a Venetian nobleman in 1592, 14-year-old Donata lives a sheltered and prescribed life. According to custom, her oldest sister will marry, either she or her identical twin Laura will stay home as the maiden aunt to care for her brother's children, and the other will go to a convent with their younger sisters. The girls spend their days doing chores, winding yarn onto giant bobbins for the family's wool trade, studying music, or going to parties where their oldest sister is examined as a marriage prospect. All that changes the day Donata dons boy's clothing and goes exploring outside the walls of the family's palazzo. Evading a bully, she ends up in the Jewish ghetto where she befriends a young man, No, who makes her question the privileges of her class, and at the same time she gains permission from her father to start studying with her brothers' tutor. When her parents announce a surprise betrothal that will curtail her studies and leave Laura convent-bound, Donata takes an action that drastically affects the whole family. While a current trend in historical fiction presents a girl with modern sensibilities chafing under the strict rules of her time, nothing about Donata seems forced. Even when acting rebelliously, her actions and thoughts feel authentic to the time and world that Napoli portrays. Even Donata's love for No is tempered by the knowledge that she could never convert to Judaism. Napoli's many fans will not be disappointed by this engrossing and exotic novel.-Lisa Prolman, Greenfield Public Library, MA

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2002
Gr. 6-10. In 1592, Donata Mocenigo enjoys a privileged life as a daughter in a large, noble Venetian family, but she's acutely aware of the limited roles for women in society. Buzzing with curiosity, she shuns propriety and ventures, disguised and alone, into the city--an act that proves more complicated and dangerous than anticipated as well as profoundly rewarding. Moved by all she's seen and learned, she changes her future by convincing her father to educate her. Historical fiction fans will love the details, though readers expecting action may find themselves bogged down in descriptions of the government and culture, and Donata's attempt to avoid an unwanted betrothal is drawn out a bit too long. But Napoli beautifully evokes Donata's city, time period, family, and most of all character, using thoughtful details that ask larger questions about family and social responsibility that will resonate with many teens. An author's note cites extensive research, including mention of the woman who inspired the story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)