Book Details:
Book Title:
Eternally Artemisia : Some loves, like some women, are timeless by
Melissa Muldoon
Category:
Adult Fiction (18+), 312
pages
Genre: Fiction General, Fiction Women
Publisher:
Matta Press
Release date:
March 2019
Tour dates: June 3 to 28, 2019
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (The themes of the
book deal with rape and overcoming sexual abuse. It is a book about female
empowerment and how with the right tools, and support women may rise above past
tragedies to build a better future for themselves.)
Book Description:
They say some loves travel through time and
are fated to meet over and over again. For Maddie, an art therapist, who
wrestles with the “peculiar feeling” she has lived previous lives and is being
called to Italy by voices that have left imprints on her soul, this idea is
intriguing. Despite her best efforts, however, proof of this has always eluded
her. That is, until one illuminating summer in Italy when Maddie’s previous
existences start to bleed through into her current reality. When she is introduced
to the Crociani family—a noble clan with ties to the seventeenth-century Medici
court that boasts of ancestors with colorful pasts—she finally meets the loves
of her life. One is a romantic love, and another is a special kind of passion
that only women share, strong amongst those who have suffered greatly yet have
triumphed despite it.
As Maddie's relationship develops with
Artemisia Gentileschi—an artist who in a time when it was unheard of to
denounce a man for the crime of rape, did just that—Maddie discovers a kindred
spirit and a role model, and just what women are capable of when united
together.
In a journey that arcs back to biblical days
and moves forward in time, Maddie encounters artists, dukes, designers, and
movie stars as well as baser and ignoble men. With Artemisia never far from her
side, she proves that when we dare to take control of our lives and find the
“thing” we are most passionate about, we are limitless and can touch the
stars.
Thoughts: Having read Ms. Muldoon’s previous two novels, I knew that I
wanted to read her latest book. And having read this latest installment of her
Italy novels, I really enjoyed this book, although I had a thing or two that I
thought could have been done better.
For the things that I didn’t like about the book I didn’t
like how the book was concluded. I felt
that the author could have brought the book full-circle rather than just end it
where she did. Also I felt that the
first two parts could have been a little shorter or the final two parts could
have been a little longer.
But that being said, I really quite enjoyed the book,
especially the first two parts. I have
several reasons that I enjoyed the book.
The first reason that I enjoyed the book was that I felt that Ms.
Muldoon’s writing was much better from her first two books, even though I
really enjoyed those ones as well. But
you can really see the growth of the author’s writing over the course of the
three books. Secondly I enjoyed the book
because the author drew her main characters very well. One really felt that you were there right
beside Maddie as she went into these parallel lives. Finally I felt that I could just enjoy the
book and not really care about what was going on in the outside world.
Bottom line: I quite enjoyed the read, despite having a couple of things that I felt could have been improved upon. Highly recommended.
Rating: 4.25/5
Praise for Eternally
Artemisia:
“A true Renaissance woman, Melissa Muldoon
weaves her passions for art and Italy into a stirring saga that sweeps across
centuries. As her time-traveling heroine Maddie reconnects with kindred souls,
we meet Artemisia Gentileschi, the 17th-century artist who overcame rape and
ignominy to gain respect and acclaim. Historic figures such as Galileo and
Mussolini also come to life in this intricately plotted novel, but the women who
defy all constraints to take control of their destinies are the ones who prove
to be eternally fascinating.” -- Dianne Hales
What a lovely story! Melissa weaves the lives
of 4 women across time, all with some connection to Artemisia Gentileschi, a
16th century Italy painter. They represent the feminine strength that arises
from life challenges, each with their unique intelligence. Underlying their
stories is the idea that love transcends all, even time, love is timeless. As
with her other books, Melissa fills the story out with interesting facts and
references to the Italian life, culture and it's history, her attention to
detail is immaculate . I loved all of the many connections in this story that
tied it all together, very cleverly done. Wonderful read, I would highly
recommend it. – Lize, Amazon Reviewer
Melissa Muldoon does a phenomenal job blending
fiction, romance, art history, and the Italian language into this gem. For fans
of historical fiction, romance, and time travel, I strongly recommend this
novel. –Exemplary Editing,
Amazon Review
Buy the Book:
Meet the Author:
Melissa Muldoon is the author of three novels
set in Italy: “Dreaming Sophia,” “Waking Isabella,” and “Eternally Artemisia.”
All three books tell the stories of American women and their journeys of
self-discovery to find love, uncover hidden truths, and follow their destinies
to shape a better future in Italy.
Melissa is also the author of the Studentessa
Matta website, where she promotes the study of Italian language and culture
through her dual-language blog written in Italian and English (studentessamatta.com).
Studentessa Matta means the “crazy linguist” and has grown to include a
podcast, Tutti Matti per l'Italiano and the Studentessa Matta YouTube channel,
Facebook page and Instagram feed. Melissa also created Matta Italian Language
Immersion Programs, which she co-leads with Italian schools in Italy to learn
Italian in Italy. Through her website, she also offers the opportunities to
live and study in Italy through Homestay programs. Melissa has a B.A. in fine
arts, art history and European history from Knox College, a liberal arts
college in Galesburg, Illinois, as well as a master's degree in art history
from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.
She has also studied painting and art history
in Florence. She is an artist, designer, and illustrated the cover art for all
three of her books. Melissa is also the managing director of Matta Press. As a
student, Melissa lived in Florence with an Italian family. She studied art
history and painting and took beginner Italian classes. When she returned home,
she threw away her Italian dictionary, assuming she’d never need it again, but
after launching a successful design career and starting a family, she realized
something was missing in her life. That “thing” was the connection she had made
with Italy and the friends who live there. Living in Florence was indeed a
life-changing event. Wanting to reconnect with Italy, she decided to start
learning the language again from scratch. As if indeed possessed by an Italian
muse, she bought a new Italian dictionary and began her journey to fluency—a
path that has led her back to Italy many times and enriched her life in
countless ways. Now, many dictionaries and grammar books later, she dedicates
her time to promoting Italian language studies, further travels in Italy, and
sharing her stories and insights about Italy with others. Melissa designed and
illustrated the cover art for Eternally Artemisia, Waking Isabella, and
Dreaming Sophia.
She also curates the Dreaming Sophia Art
History blog site and Pinterest site: The Art of Loving Italy, where you will
find companion pictures for all three books. Visit MelissaMuldoon.com for more
information about immersion trips to learn the language with Melissa in Italy,
as well as the Studentessa Matta blog for practice and tips to learn the
Italian language.
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