The Scroll of Seduction: A Novel of Power, Madness, and Royalty - Softcover

Belli, Gioconda

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060833130 ISBN 13: 9780060833138

Publisher: Harper Perennial, 2007

Synopsis

On an outing from her boarding school, young Lucía meets Manuel--art historian and exquisite storyteller--who shares with her the tale of one of history's most tumultuous loves: Queen Juana of Castile's legendary devotion to her husband, Prince Philippe the Handsome. Embracing a union thrust upon her by political necessity, Juana responds with all the passionate abandon inherent in her fiery nature--and is forced to pay a high price for her honest sensuality. For there are those at the Renaissance court who will not allow such unabashed independence in the heir to one of the world's most powerful empires--and they declare Juana mad, denying her ascension to the throne. But is she truly insane, or is she merely a victim of her own impetuosity and unbridled desire? Or is Juana a pawn in a fierce power struggle for control of the throne?

Lucía attends raptly to the tale Manuel relates--and their own story begins to miraculously, dangerously mirror that of Juana the Mad and her beloved prince.

About this title

Review:

"The Scroll of Seduction engages the reader on multiple levels...an intelligent work of fiction."--Daily News

"A lush memoir....both intensely personal and informatively political....An honest, insider's account of the very real debates surrounding this major revolution would be valuable in itself, but Belli offers more: a frank examination of her struggle for love."--Publishers Weekly

"Lush...Belli's rich prose provides fascinating insight into Juana's life..."--Tu Vida Magazine

"Love and revolution have rarely been so splendidly and provocatively intertwined than in this heretic memoir of a woman's sensual and intellectual voyage of self-discovery in Nicaragua."--Ariel Dorfman

"Gioconda Belli's memoir reads better than a novel. It recounts her larger-than-life experiences as a revolutionary, lover, and mother with honesty, passion, intelligence and, above all, poetry. The Country Under My Skin is as much the story of Nicaragua as it is one extraordinary woman's dreams."--Cristina Garcia

Praise for THE COUNTRY UNDER MY SKIN--:

"A poetic, penetrating and revelatory tale of love and war, literature and politics. . .lyrical, dramatic and incisive, Belli's soulful self-portrait and paean to her beautiful, beleagured country is at once timely and timeless, tragic and life-affirming."--The Chicago Tribune

"A surprisingly frank picture of the movement. . .Belli presents a complex picture, revealing the ego clashes and massive blunders as well as moments of incredible bravery under fire."--Los Angeles Magazine

"Engaging. . .When Belli speaks from the depths of her woman's insight. . . her prose pierces the heart. . .A window to one woman's extraordinary journey."--San Antonio Express-News

Praise for SCROLL OF SEDUCTION--Praise for SCROLL OF SEDUCTION

About the Author:

Gioconda Belli's poetry and fiction have been published in many languages. Her first novel, The Inhabited Woman, was an international bestseller; her collection of poems, Linea de fuego, won the prestigious Casa de las Americas Prize. She lives in Santa Monica, California, and Managua, Nicaragua.

Nacida en Managua, Nicaragua, Gioconda Belli es autora de una importante obra poética de reconocido prestigio internacional. Es autora de La mujer habitada, Sofía de los presagios, Waslala, El taller de las mariposas y un libro de memorias titulado El país bajo mi piel. Publicada por las editoriales más prestigiosas del mundo, Gioconda Belli vive desde 1990 entre Estados Unidos y Nicaragua.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0060833130
• ISBN 13: 9780060833138
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352