June's read- Prince of Foxes

Prince of Foxes by Samuel Shellabarger

We will meet June 10th at Valerie Johnson's home. This is a change from the first Wednesday of the month because Valerie is out of town. See you there!

And thanks to Diane for a great May read! We had a good discussion about WISH YOU WELL and everyone agreed that it was a terrific book. We missed you if you weren't there.

All of the on-line reviews spoke highly of this book! Everyone gave it 5 stars!

Set in Renaissance Italy, this classic of American popular fiction is the story of Andrea Orsini, a peasant boy who rises to perform delicate political, military, and romantic missions for Cesare Borgia.

A clever and decidedly well written story of both heroic deeds and great deceptions, true love and the pride of men. You won't be wasting your time on this book, it's five-star material.

One reviewer shared this:
"I heartily agree with other readers who have given Prince of Foxes 5 stars. This novel is fast-paced, informative, believeable, beautifully written and a fantastic blend of history and fiction.

Mr. Shellabarger manages to educate the reader about the warring Italian city states of the period while holding their attention with a wholly credible depiction of people and places of the time.

The characters in these pages are not the stick figure cartoons of so many bodice-rippers, but display actual psychological development and manage to engage the reader into caring about them - a rare occurrence in much of what passes these days as historical fiction.

Once I got past about the first two chapters, I couldn't put this one down. There are no contrived coincidences to spoil the plot development, none of the artificial saving of the day that too often destroys believability. This has to rate as one of the most enjoyable reads I have had in a long time, not to mention, has captured my attention to the extent that I now want to learn more about the Borgias and the times they lived in. Highly recommended."