In the Company of the Courtesan

A Novel

De: Sarah Dunant

Narrado por: Stephen Hoye

My 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.

Thus begins In the Company of the Courtesan, 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.

With 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.

Yet 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.

A story of desire and deception, sin and religion, loyalty and friendship, In the Company of the Courtesan 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.©2006 Sarah Dunant; (P)2006 Books on Tape

SO SO

A so so listen. Narration was good but a man doing a women's voice meh.

Great original storyline

I read the book years ago. Very happy to find it on audible. Storyline was wonderful, characters are heartfelt and memorable. I really enjoyed the performance of the narrator. Bought the story to life.

Loved It

a Little Trashy, great history, good with Sylvia. I am a historical fiction book snob. Best ever, First Man in Rome, Pillars, Elizabeth Chadwick, Cornwell, and Courtnoy

This was wonderful!

I love historical fiction. I have to admit, I was not too thilled about buying this one at first, but went ahead because of the reviews.

I am glad I did! It was an enjoyable story. It keep my attention. And I looked forward to my times with my Ipod so I could get back to it.

outstanding

Wonderfully written, wonderfully researched, and the delightful characters are so real that the history never feels like a lesson