Overview

"In this lavishly illustrated book by Anita Mathias, Francesco, artist of Florence, creates magic in pietre dure, inlaying precious stones in marble in life-like ""paintings."" While he works, placing lapis lazuli birds on clocks, and jade dragonflies on vases, he is purely happy. However, he must sell his art to support his family. Francesco, who is incorrigibly soft-hearted, cannot stand up to his haggling customers. He ends up almost giving away an exquisite jewellery box to Signora Farnese's bambina, who stands, captivated, gazing at a jade parrot nibbling a cherry. Signora Stallardi uses her daughter's wedding to cajole him into discounting his rainbowed marriage chest. His old friend Girolamo bullies him into letting him have the opulent table he hoped to sell to the Medici almost at cost. Carrara is raising the price of marble; the price of gems keeps rising. His wife is in despair. Francesco fears ruin. * * * Sitting in the church of Santa Maria Novella at Mass, very worried, Francesco hears the words of Christ. The lilies of the field and the birds of the air do not worry, yet their Heavenly Father looks after them. As He will look after us. He resolves not to worry. And as he repeats the prayer the Saviour taught us, Francesco resolves to forgive the friends and neighbours who repeatedly put their own interests above his. But can he forgive himself for his own weakness, as he waits for the eternal city of gold whose walls are made of jasper, whose gates are made of pearls, and whose foundations are sapphire, emerald, ruby and amethyst? There time and money shall be no more, the lion shall live with the lamb, and we shall dwell trustfully together. Francesco leaves Santa Maria Novella, resolving to trust the One who told him to live like the lilies and the birds, deciding to forgive those who haggled him into bad bargains--while making a little resolution for the future."

Full Product Details

9781781394175

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Reviews

"My son and I loved this short, engaging parable, especially the lavish artwork, but it was the simple Gospel message about forgiveness that struck us the most as we read. I would recommend this short book hands down to both adults & children alike. - Rev. Simon Cutmore Anita is an Oxford English graduate, but her use of words is honest, wide-eyed and lyrical, sometimes breathtakingly so. Francesco, Artist of Florence is a small, poignant testament to goodness. This little book is about forgiveness, not least in learning how to forgive ourselves. Anita is a master of awe and wonder. The beautiful illustrations perfectly complement the story with the same captivating prose as The Little Prince. - John MacArthur, Small Wrinkles in Spacetime A simple but powerful prose style together with beautiful illustrations makes this a jewel of a book. A charming story which moved me to tears. - Dr. Daniel Emlyn-Jones. Anita's writing has been a dependable source of refreshment and peace. Her writing is filled with spiritual insights and joy. Francesco is a great little book. It's a quiet read and reminds me of the European fables I read growing up, those by Leo Tolstoy, for example. In Francesco, Artist of Florence, we learn not the ""right thing to do"", but how to respond when we feel that perhaps we didn't do the right thing! Learning to accept our weaknesses and mistakes without giving them free-rein, learning what our souls need when we've been wronged - this is essential stuff. Anita Mathias gives simple, accessible, engaging instruction via story on taking care of our souls when we and others mess up. It's a story I needed to hear - and probably more than once. - Michelle Schmidt, Be Aliver This is an exquisite and beautiful short story. It reminds me of Oscar Wilde's short stories. The author's vocabulary and artistry are delightful. - Nick White This is a spiritual book, with a rich vein of themes...love, greed, family priorities or forgiveness. It should be called ""The Man who Loved Too Much"". Reread it, savouring the images that glow from every page, for they are as much a part of the story as the words. - Vivienne Johnson, xnmedia. A delightful short story that touches on themes of integrity, forgiveness and diligence. Both the images and the illustration of human nature will stay with you long after reading. I highly recommend the works of Anita Mathias - who like this story would seem to be an undiscovered gem, with a gift for revealing matters of the heart through the written word. A captivating read for both adults and children alike. - Annie Carter Anita has a lovely way with words. This story of Francesco learning to forgive himself is one of those books you'll want to keep forever! - Rev. Jules Middleton, Breaking the Mould I was amazed by the lush, colourful images of pietre dure in the book. In the most tender portion of the book, Francesco forgives those who have taken advantage of him. He forgives himself for being weak, and envisions the ""latter day of eternal flowers, and the everlasting banquet when the hard-nosed shall sit with the soft-hearted."" - Adriana Cunningham, Classical Quest Readers of all ages will enjoy experiencing sixteenth century Florence, an exquisite place of art and beauty. The book includes rich and vibrant illustrations of pietre dure, the art of painting in stone. - Angela Shupe, Bella Verita"

Author Information

"Anita Mathias was born in India and lives in Oxford, England. She has a BA (Hons.) and an MA in English from Somerville College, Oxford University, and an MA in English/Creative Writing from the Ohio State University. Anita has won a Literature Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Minnesota State Arts Board, and fellowships from The Jerome Foundation, The Vermont Studio Centre, The Sweet Briar Writers Colony, and The Virginia Centre for the Creative Arts. She has published in ""The Washington Post,"" ""London Magazine,"" ""Commonweal,"" ""America,"" ""The Christian Century,"" ""The Virginia Quarterly Review,"" ""The Journal,"" ""Notre Dame Magazine,"" ""Contemporary Literary Criticism,"" and ""The Best Spiritual Writing"" anthologies. Anita has blogged for Tearfund in Cambodia, and has won awards for her blogging and tweeting at the Premier Digital Awards, London. She blogs at anitamathias.com. Her widely-available podcast is called ""Christian Meditation with Anita Mathias."" Anita's books include ""Rosaries, Reading, Secrets: A Catholic Childhood in India,"" and ""Wandering Between Two Worlds"" (2007)."

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