Daughter of Venice

By Donna Jo Napoli

In 1592, Donata is a noble girl living in a palazzo on the Grand Canal. Girls of her class receive no education and rarely leave the palazzo. In a noble family, only one daughter and one son will be allowed to marry; Donata, like all younger daughters, will be sent to a convent. Donata longs to be tutored like her brothers and to see the Venice she has glimpsed only on the map. What is the world beyond her balcony, beyond what she sees when she glides, veiled, in a gondola down the canal? She dresses as a boy and escapes the palazzo on the Grand Canal to see the world before she is shut away, and to try to find a way to escape her fate. Donata risks everything; she changes her life, and her family’s life, forever when she walks through the door and encounters a Venice she never knew existed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: May 14, 2002
• ISBN: 9780375890079

Donna Jo Napoli

Donna Jo Napoli is a distinguished academic in the field of linguistics and teaches at Swarthmore College. She is also the author of more than eighty books for young readers.

Reviews for Daughter of Venice

[bookslesstravelled · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really liked this book. It took me twice to read it all the way though, but I was so glad I did. A beautiful story and one I could relate too. The start is slow, but it gets much better as it goes on.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm sorry; I really don't know what to say. It was interesting, but not quite plausible in too many places, and as other reviewers have said, Donata talks to us as if she's sophisticated and wise and mature, but acts like a child. One thing the other reviewers don't seem to have paid much attention to is her r'ship with her different siblings, and their various reactions to their parents' expectations for them, and their affection for each other. All that was a wonderful part of the book.

Oh, and re' the apparent ambivalence about whether D. wants to marry, it's actually quite clear. She wants to marry, but for love, and only if her twin also gets to marry, because her twin is even more suited to the role of wife and mother of an important family. And that's not likely, because they have an older sister, and usually only one daughter marries.

[bplteen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Donata is the daughter of a rich merchant of Venice in the 1500's. She wants to see more of Venice and have more freedom, so she pretends to be a boy and goes out each day to work as a scribe. This book makes you feel as though you are really there. It has great characters and is impossible to put down.Review by: Nana This is a fantastic book. Trace back to the year 1592 and experience the feelings of a young Venician girl. History lovers MUST read this book! Review by: shevi I recommend this book as a amazing read!! it truly was facinating!!!!!!!! Review by: sarah it is very adventurous and fun to read! Review by: Audrey I read the book Daughter Of Venice. It is about a girl, named Donata who has a huge family with tweleve children including herself. She has an identical twin sister named Laura. Donata wants to see the world beyond her balcony veiw but, she, being in a noble family, can't go out alone. She dresses up as a boy and goes out side her home. She only planned to go out once but, because she hurts her foot and needs shoes she doesn't have money to pay for she gets a lone from a printer but has to pay him back. She has to work in his printing shop for a month to pay him back. Her twin sister covers for her the whole month. Her father falls for it and rewards Donata with marrage instead of Laura. Donata knows that Laura should marry, so she gets Noe to teach her latin so she can write a note that says she converted to a Jew. Her family finds out about her going outside and backs her out of the marriage and puts Laura in her place. Donata is not sent to a convent but, becomes the tutor of her brouther's children. I really enjoyed this book because it shows a girl who wants to do things she is not allowed to do and actually puts her ideas to work. This book is exciting, adventurous, interesting, and a great example of Italian life. The book was amazing, the time might be different but the book itself was very modern. Wherever there are teenagers there are teen angst. its highly recommenedReview by: Savion Cohen Daughter of Venice is about a young girl, Donata, who is tired of barely having any rights like the ones her brothers have. She can't go outside without being escorted, she can't have an education, and most importantly, she can't get married. After discovering that she will have to be sent to a convent, she decides to disguise herself as a boy and go out into the Venice she barely knew. This book is awesome! Review by: ginger THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING! About a young girl who wants more rights. Review by: grace this was a fascinating book about a teenage venetian girl doesn't want to go to a convent and sets out for adventure. I recommend this to middle age book lovers.

[cattriona · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although this is young adult fiction, I found the story very engaging. The main character is plucky and intelligent, and there are numerous details about Venetian life in the 1500s which bring the story alive and add to the interest -- details about clothing, food, class/social structure, daily activities, wool spinning, the legal process and architecture, among other topics. A quick, fascinating read. Recommended.

[srssrs_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Daughter of Venice by Donna Jo Napoli is a fabulous book for the young adult who loves historical fiction. The first aspect of this book that was impressive was that Donna Jo Napoli is a researcher. She completed a lot of research prior to writing this story that takes place in Venice in the 1500s. In addition to the realism, the story of Donata is believable and instantly engages the reader. Donata's mother is lecturing on being a perfectly lady. Donata wants education and adventure, both of which are not in her mother's definition of being a perfect lady. The story continues and picks up as Donata secretly escapes her palace to explore and learn about her city, Venice and its people and what they do. There is a lot of risk in what Donata ends up doing, by the thrill of really living, the major theme, is worth whatever consequences that may ensue if she is caught. This is definitely an engaging story with a fair amount of suspense.

[shifrack00 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting, since I knew nothing about Venice in this time period and the book was a wealth of information. A lot of "telling," in addition to the lavish "showing."

[kewpie_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Napoli Donata is a young girl from a wealthy noble family in 16th century Venice. She is confined to her home and sees little of her own home town. She decides to dress herself up like a peasant boy and explore Venice. She ends up in the Jewish ghetto and befriends a young boy. She loves the freedom she has both as a boy and a peasant and decides to run away from home.