Mini-Review: “The Miracles of Prato”
I managed to get ahold of an advance copy of the book The Miracles of Prato: A Novel (aff link) by Laurie Albanese and Laura Morowitz, and thought it would be fun to do a sort of "mini review". The book won’t be released until January 2009, so hopefully this review is far enough in advance for you to decide whether or not it should be on your new year reading list.
If I were to take an art history class, or even a class on basic Catholic theology, I’m sure The Miracles of Prato would fit right into the reading material of either class. Within the first three chapters, I was immediately given a lesson on life in an Italian convent during the Renaissance. The art lessons were sporadic throughout the novel, but admittedly much more interesting than the nuances of Catholic life.
Despite the novel’s penchant for "lecturing" about the above topics, it provides a backdrop for a clever story. A Catholic Monk, Fra. Filippo who works for a convent performing Mass, confession and other religious services, is also a painter who has several commissions, including one for the infamous Medici family. Filippo is a typical tragic character – caught between his religious devotion and the trappings of a hedonistic life that includes drinking and womanizing.
Filippo becomes even more torn when a young woman, Lucrezia, arrives at the convent to become a nun. She is young, beautiful, and everything Filippo desires in a woman. Of course, given her own tragic story, Lucrezia is also drawn to Filippo. The only problem – both their respective jobs require celebacy and forbid any kind of carnal relationship.
But, as I continued to read, I discovered there’s a big difference between the requirements of the Catholic Church and the lusts of the characters. The novel takes the reader through a story of Filippo and Lucrezia trying to be together against very tough odds, including a rape by a senior church official. Filippo must balance is devotion to the church with his painting commissions that demand much of his time and his growing love for Lucrezia.
I’ll conclude by saying that when Lucrezia is impregnated (I’ll not say by who), the story takes off and I was eager to see how things ended. While I doubt this novel will be the blockbuster hit of 2009, I think most readers with a penchant for historical fiction will feel satisfied after reading the last page. The interesting story, combined with a few unexpected surprises makes up for the lecturing on art history and religion that I discussed earlier. My final verdict: Recommended.
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