April 06, 2017

In the Name of the Family - Sarah Dunant


Virago Books, March 2, 2017.

 

Four Stars


 

In the Name of the Family is Dunant’s follow up to her novel Blood and Beauty, published in 2013. Both books explore the Borgia family dynasty, headed by Rodrigo Borgia who became Pope Alexander VI – a corrupt womanizer who used papal funds and influence to advance the positions of his children in Rome. The prologue of this novel also introduces us to the character of Niccolo Machiavelli, who was at the time a Florentine diplomat at an uncertain period in history. The Medici family has fallen, and Savonarola has been publicly burned. In 1502, Machiavelli is attempting to work with Cesare Borgia and his mercenary army to end the madness that has taken over the Italian city-states.

 

The Borgia family is brutal and passionate, but they are also in decline – Pope Alexander is aging, and his powerful son Cesare is struggling with illness due to the pox. Daughter Lucrezia is sent to an arranged marriage in distant Ferrara, meant to strengthen political ties with another powerful family, the Estes. At age twenty-two, it will be Lucrezia’s third marriage, and she is just now starting to understand her own power – facing off against the Estes family, she is finally standing on her own, outside of her father’s shadow.

 

Back in Rome, Cesare has lost the fear and respect he had for his father – the Pope is aging rapidly and his power is weakening. Cesare begins to act on his own, although still in his father’s name. Most Italian city-states are frightened of Cesare and his renegade army – his moves against other members of the nobility are clever and unpredictable. He must travel undercover, but that doesn’t prevent him from making his way in disguise to Lucrezia’s bedside when she falls ill, leading to some of the rumors about their inappropriate relationship.

 

Cesare Borgia became a model for Machiavelli’s The Prince – a guidebook for ruling the people which includes the famous line, “It is better to be feared than loved.” Cesare and his family are great examples of the dark side of politics and power, although Lucrezia is the most real and engaging character here. Instead of disappearing into the shadows of womanhood, she uses her intelligence and sexuality to control her surroundings in dramatic ways.

 

Dunant does an impressive job of humanizing these historical figures, showing all the dark sides of love, grief and familial bonds. This novel is backed up by an incredible amount of research, but it never feels weighed down by facts. The dialogue is accessible and modern, with firsthand sources such as letters woven into the text. The story of the Borgias is so bizarre that it often seems stranger than fiction, and Dunant brings these intriguing characters brilliantly to life.

 

I received this book from Virago Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

No comments:

Post a Comment