His Last Duchess

Author(s): Gabrielle Kimm

Fiction

When sixteen-year-old Lucrezia de' Medici marries the fifth Duke of Ferrara, Alfonso d'Este, she imagines life with her handsome husband will be idyllic. But little does she know that he is a very complicated man. The marriage is fraught with difficulties from the start, and, as time passes, Lucrezia becomes increasingly alienated. For Alfonso, the pressure mounts as the Vatican threatens to reclaim his title should the couple remain unable to produce an heir. Only his lover Francesca seems able to tame his increasing fury. But Alfonso's growing resentment towards his duchess soon becomes unbearable, and he begins to plot an unthinkable way to escape his problems. Originally inspired by a Robert Browning poem, His Last Duchess gorgeously brings to life the passions and people of sixteenth-century Tuscany and Ferrara. It is a story you are unlikely to forget for a long time.

General Information

  • : 9780751544503
  • : Little, Brown Book Group
  • : Sphere
  • : 0.33
  • : 01 July 2010
  • : United Kingdom
  • : 01 October 2011
  • : books

Other Specifications

  • : Gabrielle Kimm
  • : Paperback
  • : 1
  • : 416

More About The Product

*Digital slides *Beautiful run of bound proofs *Readng group promotions

Long-listed for Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2011.

'Gabrielle Kimm writes with a charm that entices us into a world of intrigue and dark undertones. She creates a passionate love story that gets under your skin, intimate and touching, against a backdrop of danger and treachery. Her vivid portrayal of Medici life is rich and wonderfully imagined, as she draws a skilful portrait of a fascinating time and place.' KATE FURNIVALL, author of THE RUSSIAN CONCUBINE

Gabrielle Kimm teaches English and drama at secondary school level. This is her first novel.