Elisabetta Sirani, the subject of Unfinished: The Inspired Life of Elisabetta Sirani by Kelly Evans, was an Italian woman who lived in the seventeenth century. She faced numerous challenges as a result of her gender. Her life from age 9 until she died at age 27 is chronicled in the book, as are the challenges she had to overcome just because she was a woman living in the 1600s. This book provides a look into the life of an incredible artist who broke through gender barriers to achieve her dreams of becoming one of the most prominent women artists of the seventeenth century.

I enjoyed reading this historical fiction novel as it is one of my favorite genres to read. The author has done an excellent job of making readers feel like they knew Elisabetta, and they will really want to see her succeed. Andrea, Elisabetta’s famous artist father, was almost the villain as he constantly doubted his daughter’s skill simply because she was a woman.

My favorite aspect of this book was the relationship between Elisabetta and her sister, Barbara. I consider it to be one of the book’s primary focuses, and the bond that was formed between them allowed me to connect even more with the characters.

I appreciated the book’s history, information, themes of love and optimism. I liked learning about the baroque art era as I was not as familiar with it. Elisabetta’s works and commissions were exhibited throughout the narrative. The epilogue also gives historical context. Elisabetta Sirani is someone who was able to achieve success in a time when it was challenging for women to be taken seriously. Her story is one of perseverance in the face of adversity and is sure to inspire many readers.

Unfinished: The Inspired Life of Elisabetta Sirani is a fictional account of Elisabetta Sirani’s life based on factual information. This biographical fiction gives readers a look into the artist’s life with enough truth to understand the hardships she faced as a woman in the 1600s.

Pages: 357 | ASIN : B09Q1CHBWM