Felice della Rovere was the illegitimate daughter of Pope Julius II. Her mother was Lucrezia Normanni. She was well educated, moved in high society circles, and had some very well known friends. One of her friends happened to be Catherine de' Medici, who had even came to stay with her for a time as a child. Her father made a lot of provisions for her, including wealth, education, and an arranged marriage. She had her own money and assets independent of her husband, including business in the grain trade. She also played a role in peaceful negotiations between France and the Papal States. She had several children, who went on to be well known people in their own right.

I would like to mention that it had simply never crossed my mind until I moved out of my parents house and began reading more things and beginning my college education in history that Popes and other religious figures would have illegitimate children. Obviously, we all know that people who are in trusted positions often get up to all sorts of shenanagins, and that has been made even more clear in the news recently. This type of thing is exactly why I do not agree with forced indoctrination and the insistence that religious figures are abundantly moral people. They most certainly are not. (Of course, there are decent people, but they are still people and are still flawed. The ones who commit "sins" and sexual assault on people should not be able to hide being a curtain of religion and get away with that.) Education and open dialogue are so important to people who need to be aware that things aren't always proper and that people are capable of anything.

The research on this book was done in an organized and thorough way. The subject matter was very interesting, especially since Felice was less well known than some of the other women in her time. (At least to me.) This book has excited me for the class on the Renaissance that I still have to take to finish this degree, and I am really looking forward to when that pops up in my schedule. The only real issue that I had with this book was that Felice was portrayed as a good, wholesome girl. While she may have been, it is also very important to remember that she is a human being and has flaws of her own. I think it is vital that we stop viewing historical figures in strictly black and white terms. Obviously, some do more good than others, but painting them to be completely wonderful isn't doing it for me. Overall, the book was educational and enjoyable and there isn't much negative to say about it.