In the Name of the Family: A Novel

In the Name of the Family: A Novel

Before the Corleones, before the Lannisters, there were the Borgias. One of historyâ€™s notorious families comes to life in a captivating novel from the author of The Birth of Venus.

â€œIn the end, whatâ€™s a historical novelistâ€™s obligation to the dead? Accuracy? Empathy? Justice? Or is it only to make them live again? Dunant pays these debts with a passion that makes me want to go straight out and read all her other books.â€â€”Diana Gabaldon, The Washington Post

Bestselling novelist Sarah Dunant has long been drawn to the high drama of Renaissance Italy: power, passion, beauty, brutality, and the ties of blood. With In the Name of the Family, she offers a thrilling exploration of the House of Borgiaâ€™s final years, in the company of a young diplomat named NiccolÃ² Machiavelli.

It is 1502 and Rodrigo Borgia, a self-confessed womanizer and master of political corruption, is now on the papal throne as Alexander VI. His daughter Lucrezia, aged twenty-twoâ€”already three times married and a pawn in her fatherâ€™s plansâ€”is discovering her own power. And then there is his son Cesare Borgia, brilliant, ruthless, and increasingly unstable; it is his relationship with Machiavelli that gives the Florentine diplomat a master class in the dark arts of power and politics. What MachiavelliÂ learns will go on to inform his great work of modern politics, The Prince. But while the pope rails against old age and his sonâ€™s increasingly erratic behavior, it is Lucrezia who must navigate the treacherous court of Urbino, her new home, and another challenging marriage to create her own place in history.

Sarah Dunant again employs her remarkable gifts as a storyteller to bring to life the passionate men and women of the Borgia family, as well as the ever-compelling figure of Machiavelli, through whom the reader will experience one of the most fascinatingâ€”and doomedâ€”dynasties of all time.

Praise for In the Name of the FamilyÂ

â€œ[Dunant] has an enviable command of this complex political scene, with its shifting alliances and subtle betrayals. . . . [She] has a special gift for attending to her female characters.â€â€”The New York Times

â€œAn intimate knowledge of Renaissance history powers a story cracking with energy.â€â€”The Daily Mail

â€œWhat distinguishes and elevates to the first order Sarah Dunant . . . is that she combines flawless historical scholarship with beguiling storytelling.â€â€”The Guardian

â€œA thrilling period vividly brought to life.â€â€”Woman and Home

â€œRenaissance-rich details fill out the humanity of the Borgias, rendering them into the kind of relatable figures whom we would hope to discover behind the cold brilliance of The Prince.â€â€”NPR

â€œDunant has a storytellerâ€™s instincts for thrilling detail and the broad sweep of history. This, and her glorious prose, make Dunantâ€™s version irresistible.â€â€”The Times (UK)Â

â€œWith a vibrant cast of characters both iconic, including the vastly influential NiccolÃ² Machiavelli, and rarely highlighted, Dunantâ€™s captivating Renaissance Italian saga will thrill her fans and bring more into the fold.â€â€”Booklist

â€œSkillfully drawn characters and an excellent sense of place will entice readers of historicals.â€â€”Library Journal

â€œOne of Dunantâ€™s great strengths as a writer is illuminating the lives of women who were able to amass and wield power despite having no authority.â€â€”Kirkus Reviews
Country USA
Brand Random House Books for Young Readers
Manufacturer Random House
Binding Hardcover
PartNumber 812996976
Height 9.52
Length 6.62
Weight 1.6203976257
Width 1.3
ReleaseDate 2017-03-07

Country	USA
Brand	Random House Books for Young Readers
Manufacturer	Random House
Binding	Hardcover
PartNumber	812996976
Height	9.52
Length	6.62
Weight	1.6203976257
Width	1.3
ReleaseDate	2017-03-07

In the Name of the Family: A Novel

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