For fans of rich and vivid YA historical fiction like Girl with a Pearl Earring and Code Name Verity , Laura Malone Elliott delivers the stunning tale of real-life Renaissance woman Ginevra de' Benci, the inspiration for the art history mystery behind one of Leonardo da Vinci's earliest masterpieces. The young and beautiful daughter of a wealthy family, Ginevra longs to share her poetry and participate in the artistic ferment of Renaissance Florence but is trapped in an arranged marriage in a society dictated by men. The arrival of the charismatic Venetian ambassador, Bernardo Bembo, introduces Ginevra to a dazzling circle of patrons, artists, and philosophers. Bembo chooses Ginevra as his Platonic muse and commissions a portrait of her by a young Leonardo da Vinci. Posing for the brilliant painter inspires an intimate connection between them, one Ginevra only begins to understand. In a rich and vivid world of exquisite art with a dangerous underbelly of deadly political intrigue, Ginevra faces many challenges to discover her voice and artistic companionship--and to find love. Her portrait will make her immortal, but the woman in the painting must navigate a treacherous world of genius, politics, and passion to define her own destiny. A Strong Female Protagonist: Meet Ginevra de' Benci, a gifted young poet who sees herself as a "mountain tiger" trapped in a world that wants to keep her in a gilded cage.

Biographical Fiction: Discover the meticulously researched story behind the real woman who inspired Leonardo da Vinci's first masterpiece and the only one on display in the Americas. Slow Burn Romance: An intimate, intellectual connection sparks between Ginevra and the brilliant young artist hired to paint her, Leonardo da Vinci, a bond that challenges them both. 15th Century Italy: Experience the dazzling but dangerous world of the Florentine Renaissance, from magnificent jousting tournaments to the deadly political conspiracies of the Medici and Pazzi families.