Duchess of Milan

“A well-researched, fascinating story of two young women who had the power to change history, and did. . . . You won’t want to put this one down.” —Jean M. Auel, bestselling author of The Clan of the Cave Bear

Wedded at the age of fifteen to faithless Lodovico il Moro, Beatrice d’Este finds comfort in her closeness with her cousin, Isabella of Aragonia, the Duchess of Milan. But when Beatrice gives birth to a male heir, her status is elevated in the eyes of the ambitious il Moro. Fearful her husband will lose the dukedom to il Moro, Isabella’s alliance with Beatrice falters, even as the armies of King Charles VIII invade, putting the future of the Italian city-state in peril.

Filled with fascinating biographical detail, Duchess of Milan is the enthralling story of two strong-willed women battling for power in a world shaped by men.

“Lavishly detailed and intensely intimate. . . . An engrossing saga of women and power, with characters larger than life yet distinctly, tragically human.” —Kirkus Reviews

“You got intrigue, you got sweep, you got Leonardo da Vinci running around inventing things. . . . Every detail of life in Renaissance Italy is vividly described as [Ennis] twines his story round and round the reader’s imagination.” —Detroit Free Press

“Vivid, passionate, and treacherous characters make Duchess of Milan absorbing reading.” —Library Journal

“Diverting, meticulously researched . . . will keep you reading.” —Chicago Tribune