Turning the World to Stone
The Life of Caterina Sforza
Part Two: 1488 - 1509
by Kelly Evans
Caterina Sforza, Countess of Imola and Forli, dares to dream that her old life of treachery and despair is finally over. But after tragedy strikes, Caterina must rule as regent for her young son while navigating the intrigues of the rest of Italy and continuing to raise her family.
Along with her trusted advisors, as well as new friends, Caterina rules fairly but firmly. And, when dealing with her enemies, her retribution is fierce. But Fate isn’t finished with her yet.
In part two of Caterina’s turbulent story, she finds her path strewn with more pain, death, and bloodshed, and must keep fighting for her territories and her rights as a ruler. But when she faces the Borgia Pope’s eldest son, Cesare, Caterina realises she is fighting for more than just her lands: this time she’s fighting for her life.
“Could I write all, the world would turn to stone.”
Caterina Sforza, an Italian noblewoman, was the Countess of Forlì, and Lady of Imola, living from 1463 to 1509. She was a strong woman in a time where such a thing was rarely admired, and actually looked on in many parts as a figure for men to distrust, patronise, and use to their own advantage. Caterina is certainly used and abused by many men in her tumultuous life.
Here, we are following the second half of Caterina’s life, in the immediate aftermath of Book One of this mini-series. I will immediately say that whilst I had read the first part of the story, and so knew what Caterina had just gone through, it is not essential to have done so. The author gives us enough to know what has happened, without over-telling (or risking boring) those who might have just put down the first book.
Without telling too much here, we meet Caterina as she is still managing the fall-out of family tragedy, taking on the role of regent for her son, Ottaviano. This brings plenty of new challenges for Caterina, as Italy finds itself in a time of turmoil, with the individual states switching allegiances as popes, kings and neighbours change around them. Whilst Caterina has family links to some cities, she must balance such loyalty with what is best for her and her son’s inheritance at any given point.
Throughout all of this, we see Caterina’s actions directly, as well as discovering news from elsewhere (notably Rome and Florence) through visiting family or ambassadors via letters and reports. Caterina is well-connected, and her lands hold a prominent position, geographically and politically, making her a person of interest to many.
Amid such political machinations, Caterina finds the chance of love, but even in this, there is heartache. Not only does her path to romance not run smoothly, but some of her own children also begin to show their true colours. Paraphrased extracts of genuine letters from Caterina’s records show the nature of her relationship with her eldest sons, but the relationship with her daughter at least, shows a real closeness, and a similarity between the women. The fact that Bianca went on to also be a noted noblewoman, and regent for her son, shows she learned much from her clever and experienced mother.
Due to Caterina’s status in Italy at that time, the novel also introduces us to some of the period’s most important or notorious individuals. Michaelangelo appears on the page, and Cardinal Raffaele Riario (the man who brought Michaelangelo to Rome in the first place) makes several appearances since he’s Caterina’s relation. And then there’s the Borgias. The Borgia pope, Alexander VI, comes into power during the novel’s timeline, and Caterina even turns down a proposal for Lucrezia to marry her son. But it is the most infamous son, Cesare Borgia, who brings the most strife to Caterina, and she finds herself having to fight for her freedom and her life.
Each of the characters we meet, whether historically accurate or created for the purpose of the narrative, is fully-rounded in their development. I especially liked the relationship between the invented Luisa, Caterina’s lady-in-waiting, and the noble lady herself. The juxtaposition between the Caterina that Forlì’s lords, or her enemies, encountered, and the almost girlish version known only to her best friends behind closed doors, was wonderfully captured, and is something that not all novels pick up on; even the most powerful individuals are just humans, under it all.
As with most historical fiction novels, many readers will know at least some of the history that is being represented. For me, happily, I only had a limited knowledge of Caterina directly, so the tension as she experienced the highs and lows of her life really kept me hooked, and the pages turning.
Whilst Caterina isn’t present during all of the political machinations at work in this period, the use of messengers, spies and letters keeping her (and us) informed of developments further afield worked well, and didn’t feel stilted and too ‘reported’, as it has in some novels I’ve read where the lead character is limited in movement.
Because of this, the pace stayed strong throughout, which, when coupled with the excellent attention to detail of the time and place, made the story a real page-turner. There is clearly a lot of research behind the story, which shines through but doesn’t weigh the book down in doing so.
I would definitely recommend Turning the World To Stone, Part Two to any readers who enjoy their medieval / early 16th century historical fiction, and want to meet a truly fascinating leading lady, who was at the heart of one of the most infamous periods in Italy’s history.
I Highly Recommend.
Review by Jennifer C. Wilson
The Coffee Pot Book Club
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Kelly Evans
Born in Canada of Scottish extraction, Kelly Evans graduated in History and English then moved to England where she worked in the financial sector. While in London Kelly continued her studies in history, concentrating on Medieval History, and travelled extensively through Eastern and Western Europe.
Kelly is now back in Canada with her husband Max and a rescue cat. She writes full-time, focussing on illuminating little-known women in history with fascinating stories. When not working on her novels, Kelly writes Described Video scripts for visually impaired individuals, plays oboe, and enjoys old sci-fi movies.
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