South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Power and poison seep through Venice of 1612
Sometimes, it’s not the big events that launch the most relatable historical fiction. Instead, those small, often forgotten, footnotes of the past can evolve into a well-researched historical plot as Nina Wachsman shows in “The Gallery of Beauties.”
Wachsman builds an enthralling historical on two facts: During the Renaissance, kings and lords would have portraits of beautiful women painted to decorate the walls of their palaces, and that poisonings were common during this period. As Wachsman states in her author’s note, poisons were a tool of assassinations and for women to rid themselves of abusive husbands or fathers — they called them “inheritance powders.”
These facts lay the foundation of “The Gallery of Beauties,” which revolves around Belladonna, a popular courtesan, and Diana, a rabbi’s scholarly daughter. On the surface, neither woman would seem to have much in common. Belladonna is glamorous, wealthy, lives lavishly. Yet Belladonna hides her background — a secret that could ruin her place in society. A widow of three years, Diana dresses simply, lives plainly in the Venice Ghetto with her parents, thirsts for knowledge and studies with her father.
At the market, Diana is approached by an artist who wants to paint her portrait for a “gallery of beauties,” commissioned by an English lord, known as the Collector. The money she would receive would allow Diana to support her family, who are often in financial straits because her father gambles. The artist introduces Diana to Belladonna, opening a new world for the rabbi’s daughter. Then, young women with a connection to Belladonna and who have posed for the artist are being poisoned.
Wachsman skillfully depicts the Venice of 1612, showing how the city is ruled by a small group of powerful, ruthless men who set laws that must be obeyed, especially controlling the Jews, the poor and women. Diana wants to know more about the world, but she is aware each time she is outside the Ghetto that she risks her safety and that of her community, both of which depend on the “tenuous tolerance” of the powerful.
“The Gallery of Beauties” makes Venice of 1612 seem as accessible as last week.
Meet the author
Nina Wachsman will be among the authors leading panels, presentations and workshops during Sleuthfest, the writers’ conference July 7-10 at the Doubletree Hotel, Interstate 95 and Hillsboro Boulevard, Deerfield Beach. Jeffery Deaver, author of the Lincoln Rhyme novels, is the guest of honor. More than 40 authors are scheduled to speak. Private sessions with editors and agents are offered. Visit sleuthfest. com for more information and to register.