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Book Review of In the Company of the Courtesan

In the Company of the Courtesan
reviewed on + 28 more book reviews


These warm days of late summer make great times to get lost in a good book like this one. Sarah Dunant's historical fiction is loosely based on actual events in Rome and Venice 500 years ago. The main characters are a dwarf and a courtesan.

The story is narrated by the dwarf, Buchino, who acts as business partner and close companion of Fiammetta, who is a young and beautiful Courtesan. They escape Rome's sacking in the early 1500's, leaving behind a life of grandeur and travel to Venice with only what they can conceal in a small chest and themselves. And, of course, Venice is not Rome and they must connive their way back into the book of Courtesans there. I had a hard time putting this book down for several days.

With modern day actor, Peter Dinkage, continually creeping into my mind's eye as the narrator of this story, I could envision all the intrigue, angst, and admiration Buchino faced. This was probably not the way the author imagined her character, but it sure helped me identify a bit more with the narrator's angle of vision.