{"product_id":"in-the-company-of-the-courtesan-paperback","title":"In the Company of the Courtesan - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eSarah Dunant\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMy lady, Fiammetta Bianchini, was plucking her eyebrows and biting color into her lips when the unthinkable happened and the Holy Roman Emperor's army blew a hole in the wall of God's eternal city, letting in a flood of half-starved, half-crazed troops bent on pillage and punishment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eThus begins\u003cb\u003e In the Company of the Courtesan\u003c\/b\u003e, Sarah Dunant's epic novel of life in Renaissance Italy. Escaping the sack of Rome in 1527, with their stomachs churning on the jewels they have swallowed, the courtesan Fiammetta and her dwarf companion, Bucino, head for Venice, the shimmering city born out of water to become a miracle of east-west trade: rich and rancid, pious and profitable, beautiful and squalid. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith a mix of courage and cunning they infiltrate Venetian society. Together they make the perfect partnership: the sharp-tongued, sharp-witted dwarf, and his vibrant mistress, trained from birth to charm, entertain, and satisfy men who have the money to support her. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eYet as their fortunes rise, this perfect partnership comes under threat, from the searing passion of a lover who wants more than his allotted nights to the attentions of an admiring Turk in search of human novelties for his sultan's court. But Fiammetta and Bucino's greatest challenge comes from a young crippled woman, a blind healer who insinuates herself into their lives and hearts with devastating consequences for them all. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA story of desire and deception, sin and religion, loyalty and friendship, \u003cb\u003eIn the Company of the Courtesan\u003c\/b\u003e paints a portrait of one of the world's greatest cities at its most potent moment in history: It is a picture that remains vivid long after the final page.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSarah Dunant has written eight novels, including the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestseller \u003ci\u003eThe Birth of Venus\u003c\/i\u003e, and edited two books of essays. She has worked widely in print, television, and radio, and is now a full-time writer. Dunant has two children and lives in London and Florence. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eTo schedule a speaking engagement, please contact American Program Bureau\u003c\/i\u003e at www.apbspeakers.com\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 400\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.91 x 7.94 x 5.2 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 06, 2007\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51757743210784,"sku":"9780812974041","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/4167b0bafd591c997728e53a1616ce3c.webp?v=1780110675","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/in-the-company-of-the-courtesan-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}