The Scribe of Siena

By: Melodie Winawer

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

“Like Outlander with an Italian accent.” —Real Simple

“A detailed historical novel, a multifaceted mystery, and a moving tale of improbable love.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

A NEW YORK POST MUST-READ BOOK

Readers of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander and Tracy Chevalier’s Girl with a Pearl Earring…will be swept away by the spell of medieval Siena” (Library Journal, starred review) in this transporting love story and gripping historical mystery.

Accomplished neurosurgeon Beatrice Trovato knows that her deep empathy for her patients is starting to impede her work. So when her beloved brother passes away, she welcomes the unexpected trip to the Tuscan city of Siena to resolve his estate, even as she wrestles with grief. But as she delves deeper into her brother’s affairs, she discovers intrigue she never imagined—a 700-year-old conspiracy to decimate the city.

As Beatrice explores the evidence further, she uncovers the journal and paintings of the fourteenth-century artist Gabriele Accorsi. But when she finds a startling image of her own face, she is suddenly transported to the year 1347. She awakens in a Siena unfamiliar to her, one that will soon be hit by the Plague.

Yet when Beatrice meets Accorsi, something unexpected happens: she falls in love—not only with Gabriele, but also with the beauty and cadence of medieval life. As the Plague and the ruthless hands behind its trajectory threaten not only her survival but also Siena’s very existence, Beatrice must decide in which century she belongs.

The Scribe of Siena is the captivating story of a brilliant woman’s passionate affair with a time and a place that captures her in an impossibly romantic and dangerous trap—testing the strength of fate and the bonds of love.

"Outlander" minus all the sex, sadism & kidnapping

Seriously, this is just Outlander Italian Edition but more chaste and a bit less melodramatic. It wasn't a totally bad book but it was honestly a bit ludicrous in its similarities. If you prefer your historical time travel more PG-13 than R, this is the book for you.

Romance, Intrigue,Time Travel to Medieval Italy

This fictional story, set in a romanticized version of Medieval Italy, focuses on a woman of today who travels back in time to find the love of her life, a handsome poetic painter who becomes the target of a troubled killer. Our couple goes through many trials and tribulations, including a devastating plague and the separation of hundreds of years. The combination of the the dialog used by the 13th century characters and the beautiful Italian accent of the narrator made this a pleasure to listen to. If you enjoy this book, try From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon.

Heady Science with Artistic Sensibility

In the author’s note at the end of The Scribe of Sienna, Melodie Winawer’s time traveling historical fiction, she writes “this isn’t history- it’s fiction, and fiction, by definition, goes between and beyond the facts. That is the privilege and the heady pleasure of the novelist.” The pleasure extends bountifully to the reader. Winawer’s skillful combination of beautifully written sensory detail, meticulous research into 14th century Sienna, her knowledge as a neurosurgeon, and the complex story that results, are captivating. The time travel, and juxtaposition of heady science with artistic sensibility and doses of spirituality and hard political intrigue give Winawer a broad range within which to explore human character from the 14th century to our own, and the themes that bind all the best stories. Don’t miss this book!

Disappointing.

I could have overlooked the thin plot, but the author’s use of convenient details is so amateur and silly that I had to laugh. I would never have the patience to listen to this book again; which is how I rate a well-written and beautifully narrated story. (Cassandra was her usual amazing self) Also, let’s talk about the time-travel/Gabaldon similarities?

Silly and insipid NOT accurate

This book is nothing more than a bodice ripper disquised as an historical novel. The writing is immature. the author knows just enough about the 14th century to render a few details regarding the culture sonewhat accurate. Overall, the book is a waste of time to those of us who love Medieval fiction