Overview

"Girolamo Savonarola was a Dominican friar living in Florence at the end of the fifteenth century. An anti-corruption campaigner, his hellfire preaching increasingly spilled over into tirades against all luxuries that tempted his followers toward sin. These sermons led to the infamous ""Bonfire of the Vanities""--a series of fires lit throughout Florence for the incineration of everything from books, extravagant clothing, playing cards, musical instruments, make-up, and mirrors to paintings, tapestries, and sculptures. Railing against the vice and avarice of the ruling Medici family, he was instrumental in their removal from power--and for a short time became the puritanical leader of the city. After turning his attention to corruption within the Catholic Church, he was first excommunicated and then executed by a combination of hanging and being burned at the stake. Just as in Rizzio, Denise Mina brings a modern take to this fascinating historical story, drawing parallels between the febrile atmosphere of medieval Florence and the culture wars of the present day. In dramatizing the life and last days of Savonarola, she explores the downfall of the original architect of cancel culture and, in the process, explores the never-ending tensions between wealth, inequality, and freedom of speech that so dominate our modern world."

Full Product Details

9798212950350

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Denise Mina was born in Glasgow in 1966. She left school at sixteen and did a number of poorly paid jobs: working in a meat factory, bar maid, kitchen porter and cook. Eventually she settle in auxiliary nursing for geriatric and terminal care patients. At twenty one she passed exams, got into study Law at Glasgow University and went on to research a PhD thesis at Strathclyde University on the ascription of mental illness to female offenders, teaching criminology and criminal law in the mean time. Misusing her grant she stayed at home and wrote a novel, Garnethill when she was supposed to be studying instead. Garnethill won the Crime Writers' Association John Creasy Dagger for the best first crime novel and was the start of a trilogy completed by Exile and Resolution. A fourth novel followed, a stand alone, named Sanctum in the UK and Deception in the US. As well as all of this she writes short stories published in various collections, stories for BBC Radio 4, contributes to TV and radio as a big red face at the corner of the sofa who interjects occasionally, is writing a film adaptation of Ida Tamson, and has a number of other projects on the go. Rachael Beresford is a British classically trained actress and voice talent. With a precise, engaging, and entertaining voice, Rachael enjoys working with authors to convey their story and enhance their tale, breathe life into a character, and make the world of a narration come alive. As an audiobook narrator, she has recorded bestselling books, including titles nominated for the International Man Booker Prize and Waterstones Children's Book of the Year 2017. A member of Equity and The Voice Over Network, Rachael is a passionate believer in continuous professional development and consistently attends training courses and networking events. With two beautiful daughters and one handsome husband, Rachael lives in West Sussex, England. When she isn't reading a book out loud for work, she can be found reading one for pleasure.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available