Daughter of Venice

Rating:
Summary: Amazing Story of A Young Girl In Historical Venice
Review: The year is 1592, and fourteen-year-old Donata would do anything to escape from her family's palazzo, which is located on Venice's infamous Grand Canal. As in every Italian noble family, only one son and one daughter will marry, meaning that Donata and her twin sister, Laura, will be forced to live out their days in a convent. Donata prays every night that she will be able to escape her fate, and that she will finally be allowed to be tutored like her brothers, and to see the whole of Venice, that she has only been able to see on a map. Soon Donata comes up with a plan, one that will help her to escape her palazzo, and see the world of Venice that she has been shut away from since birth. Soon she is confronted with the hardships that Venetians face, poverty, hunger, different religions, etc. It is these things that will change her life, and her family's life forever as they know it.

Donna Jo Napoli has created a character that will be loved by readers of all ages, young and old. Donata is a spirited, hard-headed, determined young girl, who dreams of seeing the outside world that she has never had the opportunity to experience. She is caring, and wants nothing more than to help the poverty-stricken, as opposed to being locked up in a convent where she will do nothing but worship her days away. The descriptions of historical Venice are beautiful, and at times you feel that you are right there with Donata. Basking in the Venetian sun, and running along the paved Venetian roads. This is a must have book for anyone interested in historical fiction, or Italy / Venice.

Erika Sorocco

Rating:
Summary: wonderful!
Review: This book is my absolute fav! Of all the books i've ever read, this is the most moving. I love it! I would recomend this to anyone who likes a good book, although you zip right through it, leaving you wanting more.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful
Review: This book is one of the best I have ever read. It made me cry when she revealed her identity to Noe. Her feelings are so real adn I can totally relate with her wanting to explore an dlearn as much as she can. This is a book no one should miss. It is well worth the time I spent reading it.

Rating:
Summary: Great...
Review: This book was absolutely awesome. I love how Donna Jo Napoli writes about women's rights in the 1600s. The one thing that saddens me about this book is the fact that Donata loves Noe' but they can never marry because of their difference in religion. *OVERALL FANTASTIC BOOK...A MUST READ FOR ANYONE WHO LOVES VENICE*

Rating:
Summary: TERRIBLE Book!!!
Review: This book was SO stupid! Not worth reading at all! It makes hardly any sense and almost the whole time, I sat there saying, "And I payed money for this book!?" This is some thing that I would for sure not recomend to any one! A stupid, ridiculous book! I love all of Napoli's other books, but why she wrote or published this book is beyond me! I highly recomend that you DON'T read this book!!!

Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK
Review: This book was wonderful. Not only did it inspire me to do more with my life but it also taught me about lives of woman in this century. Donata is the daughter of a wealthy noble family. She is very outspoken and soaks in every fact her brothers tell her. Unfortunately Donata is not permitted to explore the city she knows so much about. Everyday she stands on her balcony memorizing the city she lives in. When she suddenly brews up a plan in her head to fulfill her desires. This book is definatley worth reading. Its filled with knowledge and action on every page. If you enjoy reading about books based in the "Olden Days" you'll love this one.

Rating:
Summary: Daughter of Venice
Review: This story was about a girl in the late 1500's wanting to get out of her safe palazzo and see all of Venice. Donata, the main character, is the daugher of a wealthy, noble family. She is very outspoken and listens to every thing her brothers and father discusses. She wants to be educated and tutored like her brothers, but she cant becuase she's a girl. Unfortunately Donata is not allowed to explore the city she knows so much about. So she dresses up every morning as a boy and sees all of Venice. She even gets a job in the Ghetto that no one in a noble family would ever get. She meets an older Jewish man that she starts to fall in love with. Every day in the streets she learns more about Venice and what goes on around her. You can even see how she changes as a person throughout the story. I thought that this was an O.K. book. The beggining was really boring, but it starts to get a little intresting towards the middle. Its one of those books where you can imagine it as a movie.

Rating:
Summary: ~Reality~
Review: WOW, this book was surprisingly realistic and absolutely refreshing. I can't say anymore.