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Book Description:
In each, an elegant lady and a unicorn stand or sit on an island of grass surrounded by a rich background of animals and flowers. Little is known about them except that they were woven toward the end of the fifteenth century and bear the coat of arms of a wealthy family from Lyons.
Tracy Chevalier takes readers back to the tapestries’ creation, giving life to the men who designed and made them, as well as the wives, daughters, and servants who exercised subtle (and not so subtle) influences over their men. Like the many different strands of wool and silk that were woven together into one cloth, the lives and fates of these people entwine in complex patterns, crisscrossing as they seek desires sensual and spiritual, temporal and eternal.
An extraordinary story exquisitely told, Tracy Chevalier’s The Lady and the Unicorn weaves history and fiction into a beautiful, timeless, and intriguing literary tapestry that rivals in grace and grandeur the masterpiece that inspired it.
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Other Versions of this Book: Audio Cassette, Audio Cassette (Unabridged), Audio CD (Unabridged), Paperback, Hardcover
Top Member Reviews
I too thought this was a fast historical fiction read, but I also found it to be a bit sneaky. I did not guess at the surprise that awaits, but did guess at another part of the ending. It's also interesting to read about the life of a family of weavers... you just see these tapestries in museums now, but to read a possible way that they lived and the daily struggles they endured to complete these works... it gives a whole new layer to the works of art to me.
Susan B. from CAPE PORPOISE, ME wrote on 8/25/2006...This is the fictional story of the commission and completion of a 15th century tapestry. The tapestry is real, the author has written a fictional account of the creation of the tapestry and the lives of the people involved in it's making. The tapestry is commissioned in Paris but woven in Belgium with a great deal of historical detail regarding the two areas and the time.
I enjoyed this as much as Girl With A Pearl Earring. A good read that focuses on the happenings in both Paris and Brussels in the 1400s. The characters are artists, artisans, royalty, everyday people whose lives, loves and losses are part of the story about Unicorn Tapestries being created.
Rate These Member Reviews
Lilli B. from HOWELL, MI wrote on 9/9/2008...This was a great romp through French culture and tapestry weaving, with romance, suspense, and a fine ending...
This is the second book I have read by this author and it grabbed me just as much as the first one. I will definitely read her other works. She is a great weaver of stories.
I loved this book! The author draws yo into her books and makes you want to know more about the characters.
Deborah H. from ARROYO GRANDE, CA wrote on 1/7/2007...Hardback. 1490 Paris. fact & fiction into a tapestry-both the main work of the characters, but also the plot itself.
Another great historical fiction by the author of "Girl With A Pearl Earring"
Great read! I read this in 2 days - I love all her books. This one is quick.
I thought this was another great book by Chevalier although the language at times could be quite severe.