Waiting on Wednesday: A Golden Web by Barbara Quick

A Golden Web by Barbara Quick (published by HarperTeen, April 10, 2010)

Alessandra is desperate to escape—from her stepmother, who’s locked her away for a year; from the cloister that awaits her if she refuses the marriage plans that have been made for her; from the expectations that limit her and every other girl in fourteenth-century Italy. There’s no tolerance in her village for her keen intelligence and her unconventional ideas.
In defiant pursuit of her dreams, Alessandra undertakes an audacious quest, her bravery equaled only by the dangers she faces. Disguised and alone in a city of spies and scholars, Alessandra will find a love she could not foresee—and an enduring fame.
In this exquisite imagining of the centuries-old story of Alessandra Giliani, the world’s first female anatomist, distinguished novelist Barbara Quick gives readers the drama, romance, and rich historical detail for which she is known as she shines a light on an unforgotten—and unforgettable—heroine.


I know I've been featuring a lot of historical fiction lately but it's my favorite genre and I love to get the word out about new historical reads that sound great! This book sounds like it has a really interesting and unique setting/plot based on a true story. I hadn't heard of Alessandra before but she sounds fascinating.