Reviews

"Life in 17th century Rome is difficult for a beautiful and exceptionally talented girl, especially one born to a humble family...What follows is a series of intrigues and dangerous encounters as Angelica seeks to chart her own course among powerful, opposing factions...The novel is genuinely gripping....will ring true with today’s young readers."
- Voya, 2006

"Carol Dines has penned an elegant work of historical fiction that will move young adult readers...."
- Book Loons, Canada, 2006

"...plenty of amour and peril to keep the pages turning. It’s hard to resist a girl up to her golden throat in intrigue, and YAs looking for offbeat historical fiction should be engrossed.
- School Library Journal, 2006

"There are rich details of food, dress, manners and habits overlaid with much political intrigue, and nearly all the characters, including the composer ArcAngelo Corelli, are historical figures...Riveting in both action and description."
- Kirkus, 2006

"Intricately layered historical novel explores the obstacles faced by talented women in this time period. 17-year-old Angelica gives impromptu concerts while hidden inside her home, her voice floating down through the closed shutters to the crowd beneath her window. A clandestine relationship with a French art student, who sends Angelica love notes via her maid, and a queen who defies the pope to give Angelica and others like her freedom to perform, add intrigue to the colorful tale."
- Star Tribune, 2006

"Gifts and talents, while wondrous to possess, may also possess the owner. Angelica Voglia’s musical talent beguiles the poor and the powerful, the peasant and the priest. Nevertheless, the pope has decreed that it is illegal for women to sing in public. The time is 1670, and although Pope Innocent XI rules most of Rome, there is yet one quarter where musical performance by ladies is encouraged and enjoyed by all who are invited to listen. The patron of this court is Queen Christina…Intrigue, death, attempted rape, betrayal, loyalty, pride, and shame blend as the story reaches a memorable crescendo. Dines’ absorbing novel is based on a true story that she discovered in an old library book in Rome."
- From The Critics, Children’s Literature, 2006