Verona, 1576.
Heresy is fatal in late Renaissance Italy, but Martin Luther’s book ignites a young girl’s faith.
She must choose—abandon her beliefs or risk everything.
Join Lucia as she navigates the exciting and perilous world of late 16th-century Italy!
“A gripping tale of a young girl of Renaissance Italy…a superb example of historical fiction based on actual fact.”
Dr. Jeannine Olson, Professor of History, Rhode Island College
HISTORICAL NOVELIST
C.L.R. Peterson
Renaissance history came to life for C.L.R. Peterson during a semester in Italy.
Later the classic David-versus-Goliath battle of Luther and the Roman Church hooked her on the Reformation, and she earned a PhD in Early Modern European History at Stanford University.
She loves to tell the stories of little-known heroes of the Renaissance/Reformation era.
Lucia’s Renaissance is her debut novel, soon to be followed by the sequel, Lucia’s Journey.
She has also written several short stories in Lucia’s storyworld, including “Caterina’s Choice,” which is available at no charge to readers who sign up for her author newsletter.
My New Short Story! Free to my Subscribers!
Verona, 1571.
When Caterina welcomes her husband’s brilliant student, Alessandro, into their home, she has no idea how he will heighten the danger her family faces as the Inquisition closes in.
Against the vivid backdrop of Renaissance Verona, this prequel short story to my novel Lucia’s Renaissance captures the terror of the Inquisition’s reach.
Immerse yourself in rich historical detail and high emotional stakes in this dramatic story of danger and conscience!
Recent Blog Posts
Into the Heart of Appalachia
Who could have imagined that a Depression-era project encouraged by Eleanor Roosevelt to promote literacy could find its way into Giver of Stars, by Jojo Moyes, an exciting and moving novel focused on a group of women who deliver library books in rural Kentucky?
The Missing Link in a Familiar Story
These dog days of summer (in my hemisphere) are a great time for a rewarding new look at a familiar story. How did Abraham Lincoln, arguably the greatest U.S. president, make the amazing leap from country boy in rural Kentucky to the White House?Nancy Horan’s recent...
Sunny Times under the Sun King?
The Muse of Freedom takes place during the reign of France’s King Louis XIV, who spared no effort to rid his kingdom of any threats to his power. At the age of 18 Jehan (Jean Pierre) Bondurant must decide whether to return to his Huguenot faith or risk the terror of the king’s dragonnades (troops), who break up Huguenot families and kill many.
How Powerful is an Ordinary Person?
How could a tobacco-chewing, defiant, small Polish peasant woman thwart the Nazis’ attempt to exterminate the Jews? My Mother’s Secret, a short historical novel, is based on the lives of Franciszka and Helena, a Polish mother and daughter recognized as “the Righteous among the Nations” in Israel.
When Librarians Were Spies
The Librarian Spy, by Madeline Martin, is a spy-filled World War II story set in Lyon, France, and Lisbon, Portugal.
Have You Discovered This Italian Masterpiece?
The Betrothed is an Italian literary masterpiece Italians revere, but most Americans have never heard of it. What’s so special about this nearly 200-year-old novel?