The Brightest Star is an intriguing story from the first page, though I will freely admit that it took me a while to get into the story. This book relies heavily on narrative, which means the pace is slow. That said, I couldn’t stop reading because in Luna, a brilliant girl hampered in her intellectual pursuits by her sex and in her everyday life by her malformed foot, we find a worthy, strong and compelling heroine. The story is set mostly in Florence in the late fifteenth century, a time of political upheaval but also a time of great discoveries.
I loved Luna’s unwavering sense of purpose, her curiosity and her drive to learn and test her theories. I loved the setting, mostly in Florence but also in the Tuscan countryside. In this story, author Emma Harcourt has given us a realistic glimpse of life in another time. It’s well worth a read for that alone, but in my opinion, the main drawcard is Luna.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Fiction Australia for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set in 1496 Florence, where the renaissance is opening the worlds eyes to new learnings in science and astronomy we meet the Fusili family.
Trapped between wanting to learn and discover more of the world, their allegiance to the exiled Medici family and the fanatical priest now ruling over the city.

Our story is told by Luna the eldest daughter of the family, who was born with a leg deformity that ostracised her from the day she was born, starting with her mother and continuing with the people of Florence. But our Luna is no ordinary girl, adored by her father and with a passion for knowledge Luna is ready for a life of scholar and not to be a wife. However, Luna’s outspoken ways once thought clever at a young age are now making dangerous ripples for herself and her family in the already tense Florence.

I really enjoyed this novel. Harcourt’s characters are wonderfully developed, you can easily picture and understand the relationship of those in the family and their friends and foes.
Her inclusions of the astronomical descriptions and theories were so easily written into the book that it fit so well and at no point did I feel I was reading a text book.

I’ve always loved the story of a educated strong willed women in history and it was wonderful to read a novel which played out with realistic expectations and results.

I only wish the story had continued passed the ending as I found myself wanting to read more as I wasn’t ready to leave the life of Luna behind.

A truely lovely book.

I must say I had a bit f a hard time getting into this as the story seemed to be going nowhere at first and I nearly put it down. But I did persevere and it was a pretty good story. Another very long book that I feel could have been shortened a bit as there did seem to be some parts of the story that repeated itself as it was told in the eyes of Luna and then of her father Vincenzo Fusili.

But having said that it is an interesting story and I did love Luna and her attitude to the way things were in those times. As the story went on it did get better for me and there was a bit more going on. The characters are interesting, the times are interesting and the story did flow well but it wasn't one of my favourite historical reads I'm afraid.

The Brightest Star is a work of historical fiction by Australian author, Emma Harcourt. Following up from her debut, The Shanghai Wife, Emma demonstrates her versatility and depth as a growing author. What is there not to love in going back to Renaissance Italy and being immersed in the intellectual, political and religious turmoil of the day. Make the lead character a female with a physical disability and you have all the ingredients for a riveting story.

‘How cruel a fate. She flung the book across the room and heard it smack sharply against the far wall. Damn this world that elevated men above all others.’

This was such a well researched book which made for excellent reading. Whether it be the politics of the time with the Medici’s, the growing movement and growth in the understanding of astronomy (particularly concerning Copernicus) or the role of women - there is certainly much on offer for readers of historical fiction. It was a full immersion into Florentine society of the day.

‘Florence was a city that did not suffer rule-breakers and he’d not counted on his daughter developing quite so independent a voice. She’d become wilful, speaking her mind whenever it pleased her and asking for the freedoms of a man.’

The story is overflowing with details as you come to understand how life was for Luna, being female with a disability. Was her father doing her a disservice by fostering her love of reading and other intellectual pursuits, setting her up for failure given society's expectations? Luna’s story is certainly unique and worth the read as a strong female lead well ahead of her time.

‘There was peace in the stars. The night sky blinked. There was Venus, so bright. ‘Hello, wandering star,’ Luna whispered and wished she were up there, afloat in her own perfect sphere in that more perfect world.’








This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

An enjoyable historical fiction set in Florence in 1496, the Medici family is in exile and an extremist preacher Savonarola has great influence over the lives of the people. The main character is Luna, the eldest daughter of the Fusilli family, who have a wool business. Luna was born with a deformed foot and her father has kept her and encouraged her to learn in a time when women weren’t educated and disabled people were considered marked by the devil. Its easy to read this story, Luna is a bright character and there’s plenty of details about how people lived, both good and tragic. What happens to the family is a bit of a shock even though the build up probably foreshadows it and the later chapters are fascinating as a young Copernicus enters the story. A fascinating read.

What a way to learn about renaissance Florence in the late 1400’s. We are introduced to life in Florence through the eyes of Leonarda Lunetta who was born under a full moon with a deformed foot, which is considered the ‘devils work’. Luna, as her father calls her is a ‘cripple’ to anyone who meets her and she is taunted throughout her life but despite her physical disability Luna shares her fathers love for reading and intellectual pursuits. She loves learning and has a passion and desire to study astronomy which is considered undesirable for a young woman. Luna will not marry as most young women would in this era so what is to become of her?
The background of the Medici family’s’ exile from the city to the underground efforts to return them to their home runs as an undercurrent to the story.
I loved the strong female character of Luna, she was a young woman ahead of her time and I eagerly read late into the night to find out what became of her life.
A very interesting historical fiction read.

Florence is one of my favourite settings for a novel and the Renaissance is one of my favourite eras, so it should come as no surprise that I was drawn to this latest release by Emma Harcourt, The Brightest Star. The events unfold during the dark period upon which Florence was within the grips of the extremist Savonarola, a preacher who sacked the city, expelled the Medici’s, destroyed so much art and so many books, all in the name of religious purity. At the time of this story, the Medici’s are in exile and plotting with loyalists to raise an army to return. The atmosphere within Florence is one of volatility, fear an ever-present undercurrent for families of means as they wait for Savonarola to cast his eyes their way for the slightest of provocations. To date, I had only read up to the period where the Medici’s were exiled, so I found it quite fascinating to dive into this period through fiction. I thought the tensions and volatility were conveyed through the narrative with precision, keeping the reader on edge, a certain sense of doom pervading all and giving you cause to brace yourself for what you surely knew was inevitable.

Luna is the eldest child of one of Florence’s leading families. Propelled by guilt, her father has nurtured her precocious mind through the provision of an education that is usually reserved for sons. It is only as Luna approaches adulthood that he begins to rue his decision, viewing her educated mind as much of a repellent for suitable husbands and a secure future as her deformed leg. As Luna becomes increasingly aware of the fate her father plans for her, she resists as much as she can, with the ultimate and most tragic of consequences. But it is in the aftermath of tragedy that Luna realises her full potential. I particularly enjoyed these later scenes where Luna is coming to terms with her grief whilst grappling with a yearning for knowledge that may not be barred to her any longer within her newfound circumstances. The early ideas of female agency tied in with female hysteria and the ‘harmfulness’ of educating women were tightly woven into the narrative, giving a well fleshed out story that reflected the politics of 15th century Florentine society within the context of a woman born a step out of her own time.

‘It was wrong that women were damned and silenced for expressing any of the glorious and complicated emotions they felt.’

Overall, I found The Brightest Star to be a most engaging read, tense and interesting, highlighting an era of history that has not been overly plundered through fiction. Highly recommended.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.

The Brightest Star by Emma Harcourt was a pleasing piece of historical fiction. It opened strongly, introducing Luna as a well-drawn and appealing heroine whose story I was interested to follow throughout. The story held my attention well and there was a good sense of place and period; however, I felt a little let down by the ending, not because it wasn't wrapped up well in one way, but rather because I had expected 'more' for her based on the build up and all that had come before. That small gripe aside, though, this was an enjoyable tale and is sure to please historical fiction fans who like to see a strong female lead in the stories they read.