Historical true story set in Rome

Submitted: 27th November 2024

Disobedient – Elizabeth Fremantle

WINNER of the Gold Crown at the HWA Awards last week and what a worthy winner!

A reimagining of a true story – a woman, Artemisia, wanted to be an artist but had no freedom and no respect in 1600s Rome. She was raped at 16 and yet SHE was put on trial and abused even further in the questioning and lack of belief the authorities had in her. Her abuser was her painting instructor and what followed showed just how little women were thought of at that time. A shocking story but Artemisia comes across as the strong and wonderful woman she was….

Map of locations in Disobedient

Disobedient Elizabeth Fremantle

BOARDING PASS INFORMATION

Destination : Rome 1600s

Author guide: Elizabeth Fremantle

Genre: historical fiction based on a real story

Food and drink to accompany: wine and cake

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A novel to transport you to 1600s Rome

Map of locations in Disobedient

What a book!

I love it when authors bring someone back from the past and give them a voice. This is the story of a girl who became one of the most famous painters of her time. Still highly celebrated today, Artemisia Gentileschi is best known for paintings of Susanna and the Elders and Judith Slaying Holofernes.

But this is the story of when Artemisia was sixteen and was brutally raped by her painting instructor. This event shaped her life and what followed just showed even more how women at the time were viewed. This novel puts her at the focus of her story and gives her the voice that was taken from her. Aside from those horrific events, we get to see Artemisia as she grew, explored painting, loved art and was part of a world of expressionism and beauty. This is what makes the novel so wonderful – the rape does not define her but makes her stronger. She is no victim and that’s what made men at the time so angry. I was so angry reading this! How she was treated – not just the attack but the trial and the abuse which followed.

What Elizabeth has done so so well is to bring this lady back to life. She has a voice and boy, does she use it to tell her story. What an amazing painter Artemisia was. What a wonderfully strong woman! This at the time when women were chattals of men. She couldn’t be a painter, she couldn’t be anything. When she dared to object to being raped, she was attacked for that!If ever I could step into a book and slap a character or two, this was it.

I loved this book. Graphic and hard to read as it is at times, this is a powerful tale. A story of adversity and a woman who would not be silenced. This is what I hope readers will remember and that her character and her paintings will always shine above the shadow of her attack.

No wonder this book won the HWA Gold Crown Award. Elizabeth Fremantle deserves a crown for showcasing this amazing woman from history!