Bianca's Cure

“… the novel boasts a formidable female protagonist who shines brightly throughout.”—Kirkus Reviews “Bianca’s Cure brings 16th-century Italy to life, drawing from real historical figures to craft a story of passion, medicine, and ambition.”—BookLife Reviews “ … Bianca’s Cure is thoroughly engrossing and realistic, fueled by a strong female character whose objectives and talents shift under forces she can neither control nor predict.”—Midwest Book Review “In the tradition of the best historical fiction, Gigi Berardi takes a little-known woman with a life shrouded in mystery and imagines the emotional glue for a riveting story. As the alchemy of Berardi’s writing breathes life into the alchemy of Bianca’s cure, you will be held under her spell.”—Jude Berman, author of The Vow, a 2024 Kirkus Best Indie Book “Bianca Cappello, the legendary Venetian noblewoman—first the lover, then the wife of Francesco I de’ Medici—is one of the most fascinating and enigmatic figures of the Florentine Renaissance. Gigi Berardi brings her to life with striking clarity in this remarkable work, where Bianca is reborn with her passions, her loves, and her rebellious spirit; poised between historical truth and narrative invention. A modern woman: ambitious, educated, and independent in a world that wasn’t ready for her. A tale of love, alchemy, and power.”—Stefano Corazzini, author of A Medici in Love “This book is for all the girls and women who were told they could never become a scientist because they were born female. Bianca’s Cure will transport you back to the Renaissance where you will marvel at Bianca’s grit, passion, and ingenuity. In the process, you might rediscover your own.”—Steffanie Strathdee, Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases & Global Public Health, UC San Diego, and author of The Perfect Predator: A Scientist’s Race to Save her Husband from a Deadly Superbug “A masterful storyteller, Berardi’s narrative is both imaginative and persuasive—a tale relevant to women in science today.”—Ruth Lydia Richter, botanist in the natural science section at the Goetheanum (CH), and author of “Artemisia annua, a Traditional Plant Brought to Light” “Navigating the Medici court in Renaissance Florence was not for the faint of heart. Neither was curing malaria. Determined to prevail in both despite threats and innumerable obstacles, Bianca in Bianca’s Cure inspires those who dare!”—Esther Erman, author of Rebecca of Salerno “Gigi Berardi’s stirring account of Bianca Capello’s relentless pursuit of a cure for the heat disease is fiction at its best. Her voice-driven narrative skillfully describes the tortuous path a woman scientist takes to do her work and at the same time manage children, household, and realm. Readers of both historical fiction and science will enjoy this unforgettable tale.”—Ruth Sofield, professor at Western Washington University and coauthor of Introduction to Environmental Toxicology

Gigi Berardi hails from Hollywood and holds degrees in biology, resources and planning, and dance. A Fulbright scholar in Italy and professor at Western Washington University in Bellingham, she also teaches in Florence, Italy. She’s written more than four hundred reviews and articles for print media and has been featured on various podcasts and in broadcast media. Besides writing, her other passions include dance, cheesemaking, and travel. She divides her time between Bellingham, Washington, and Shaw Island, Washington.

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