4 out of 4 stars
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Anyone who is an Art lover, or interested in Art History, will definitely enjoy Belle Ami’s The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci. A treasure hunt for Art lovers and historians alike, it is the tale of those who seek to find a missing painting claimed to have been created by the master himself, Leonardo da Vinci.
The story begins in World War II Italy. A mysterious, unknown painting is being smuggled out of Florence’s Uffizi Gallery by a young couple in order to keep it safe from the Germans. Flash forward to the present, where Angela Renatus, a young Art History intern, is troubled by strange dreams of an unknown painting. These dreams lead to her to meet Alex Caine, an art detective who has been hired to locate a missing painting. Together, they hope to solve the mystery surrounding Angela’s dreams, and to locate the missing painting before it is too late.
The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci has many positive aspects. Once begun, it is a pleasurable novel that is difficult to put down. Its principal setting in beautiful Tuscany, romantic tales of star-crossed lovers, time travel, and a thrilling quest for a missing Leonardo da Vinci painting have the reader entranced from the beginning to the end of the story. Ami’s use of transitions between the past and the present, and between character viewpoints, flow seamlessly. Her use of language also makes this a very easy and enjoyable read. The novel also provides some enlightening references to important historical figures such as the prominent Italian family, the Medicis, and of course, the famous artist, Leonardo da Vinci.
There was not much to dislike about Ami’s The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci. For anyone who enjoys a good love story and adventure, this story falls into both categories. However, if one is not into sentimental romance novels, this story might not suit. It is more of a romantic-historical thriller than an action thriller, so readers who seek action-packed stories may not be interested in the more romantic parts of this story. Still, it is definitely worth reading!
While it is an exciting story, I would recommend it for adults, or mature readers, only due to its somewhat intense intimate scenes. Overall though, it is quite the page-turner because it keeps the reader in suspense. There were very few errors in the book aside from a few missing quotation marks, but they are not distracting to the reader. I would give this book the rating of 4 out of 4 stars.
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The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci
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