Review Detail

Only Giacomo, Leonardo da Vincis servant, knows the struggles his master is going through while trying to paint The Last Supper. Between pressure from the Duke of Milan and the prior of the monastery (where the artwork is to be painted) to finish the now infamous masterpiece, and the stress of being horribly in debt, Leonardo da Vinci has a lot weighing on his mind. Giacomos job is to assist Leonardo, and ultimately protect him from his own doingsor non-doings when it comes to painting The Last Supper and paying his debts.

Giacomos adventures in this diary-like novel are exciting and mysterious as he tries to unlock the secrets of his master and of his own past, which elude him due to a fever that erased his memory before he was found one day and taken in by Leonardo. When Giacomo is older the tides turn and Giacomo is the one taking care of Leonardokeeping the merchants, Duke and prior at bay, securing some money for food, protecting Leonardos name, and ultimately managing to strike a clever deal which clears Leonardos debts and motivates Leonardo to finally finish The Last Supper.
Through all this, Giacomo proves himself as a faithful servant, but longs for the knowledge of his own familial background. Secretly he wishes the great Leonardo to be his father and several clues point in that direction, but Ill leave you to read the book and find out for yourself what really happens.

In addition to learning about the history of The Last Supper and life during the renaissance in Milan, Grey brings to life what Leonardo might have been like to live with. He based the novel on Leonardos Notebooks, which is definitely my next read. Grey has left me hungry to learn more about this great master.