Disobedient: The gripping feminist retelling of a seventeenth century heroine forging her own destiny

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MAGICAL, THRILLING, WONDERFUL, EXCELLENT. HEARTPOUNDINGLY TENSE AND ABSOLUTELY ENGROSSING. CLEVER, AMAZING AND INSPIRING' DAILY MAIL Toen ik hoorde dat mijn favoriete auteur, Fremantle die gekend is voor haar Tudor en Stuartboeken, een fictieboek over haar zou uitbrengen was ik natuurlijk ontzettend blij.

Something that I admire so much in Ms Fremantle’s work is her ability to create the most palpable scenarios right from the off. There’s no need to “get into“ the book, you’re there from the first word. It’s as if you’re immediately enveloped into 17th century Rome, the lifestyle and habits these artists. Is that the mark of impeccable research, skilful writing or a fusion of both. I’ve experienced it in all her books. And for the duration of your read, you’re there in that very world as if you were born to it. Artemisia Gentileschi dreams of becoming a great artist. Motherless, she grows up among a family of painters - men and boys. She knows she is more talented than her brothers, but she cannot choose her own future. She belongs to her father and will belong to a husband. Disobedient” plows forward with an unstoppable force. It would be easy to dry out a historical fiction like this into arid oblivion, or to saturate it beyond fancy and into falsity, but Fremantle strikes an excellent balance that feels like you’re actually there, watching the Gentileschi family’s real struggles and triumphs play out.

The feminist element is strong and forceful in this book, downtrodden yet defiant Artemisia Gentileschi’s life and Fremantle’s interpretation of this feels congruent, heart clenching, and gut wrenching. The facts of her story could be read in some kind of biographical account of her life. But you wouldn’t get the same frisson or the same sense that you are there with her. With this story, you can almost smell the paint, feel the injustice. This book brings Artemisia Gentileschi to life. The book's afterword explains the author's personal reasons for writing the book, and the extent to which she has fictionalised the history ,which is helpful for the reader - I wish more writers in this genre did the same.

This isn’t the story of a female painter trying to break the glass ceiling with her work. This is the story of a young girl being wronged and trying to gain recognition for it and, above all, escape from it. A woman who wants to be able to make her own choices – and that’s a story of all times. The story in this novel centers around the painting of this version of Judith Slaying Holofernes. According to this novel the face of Holofernes is the same as that of the man who raped her. I'm not sure art historians agree, but it makes for a good story. Artemisia's life was extraordinary, and so is this book. I was swept away by lush, evocative prose. An unforgettable, moving and important story told with great skill and care' JENNIFER SAINT For neither her brilliance nor her defiance can change the startling and sobering fact that she belongs to her father and will belong to a husband… Perfecting her craft takes time, and one day a mysterious and handsome painting tutor decides to help her hone her skills. Tassi is dashing, charming, and hugely gifted in his field, and for a fleeting moment he represents everything that a life of freedom offers.A riveting novel based on the life of Artemisia Gentileschi—the greatest female painter of the Renaissance—as she forges her own destiny in a world dominated by the will of men.