The Miracles of Prato

"Richly textured Renaissance romance. . . . [A]n irresistibly passionate novel steeped in art, history, and the miracles wrought by love." — Booklist Italy, 1456. The Renaissance is in glorious bloom. A Carmelite monk, the great artist Fra Filippo Lippi acts as chaplain to the nuns of the Convent Santa Margherita. It is here that he encounters the greatest temptation of his life, beautiful Lucrezia Buti, who has been driven to holy orders more by poverty than piety. In Lucrezia's flawless face Lippi sees the inspiration for countless Madonnas and he brings the young woman to his studio to serve as his model. But as painter and muse are united in an exhilarating whirl of artistic discovery, a passionate love develops, one that threatens to destroy them both even as it fuels some of Lippi's greatest work. "Like Fra Filippo's paintings, this love story, set in one of the most intriguing historical periods, is suffused with clear, warm color and fine attention to detail." —Debra Dean, author of The Madonnas of Leningrad "This novel . . . will be lapped up by fans of historical romance." — Publishers Weekly " The Miracles of Prato is a time machine, taking the reader back to the height of the Italian Renaissance." —Eleanor Herman, author of Mistress of the Vatican "Richly detailed and thoroughly engrossing . . . a poignant portrayal of the heartbreak of two people caught in the Church's grip during the Italian Renaissance." —Judith Lindbergh, author of The Thrall's Tale.