Harriet Klausner's Review Archive
Margherita reflects back to when she, the daughter of a local baker, met the love of her life six years ago when Raphael was the Pope’s favorite. He asked her and her father for her to model. Her father urged her to accept and she did. The rest is history as he found his Madonna in her and as Romano says she made him a better person. How she wonders can she give up the most valuable keepsake from the man she loves; but can she survive constant harassment from the Church.
THE RUBY RING is a terrific historical fictionalized account of Margherita Luti and the great artist Raphael Sanzio. The story line hints at a bittersweet ending although the tale mostly occurs during the six years of shared love between the artist and Margherita. Diane Hager, who is one of the best at providing fictionalized accounts of great historical love stories (see THE SECRET WIFE OF KING GEORGE IV), provides a fantastic glimpse at the Italian Renaissance to include the artistic rivalries and jealousies (though a different era and place reminded me of the movie Amadeus), especially the underbelly of decadence from the sponsoring Vatican and secular rulers.