Ron
Teachworth
The Annunciation
In the mid-1990s, on a path toward living a religious life, a group of graduate students travels to the San Marco Convent in Florence, Italy, to study art history and assist in the restoration of the Fra Angelico Frescos, sacred to Pope John Paul II. What happens at San Marco Convent will change their lives forever. A Seminarian and a Felician Sister fall in love, by way of an uplifting romance. A Girolamo Savonarola letter is found in an ancient box. A lost Leonardo da Vinci mural is discovered, and there is an attempted assassination on Pope John II's life while visiting the convent viewing the restored frescos of Fra Angelico. The ending turns on the intuition of an autistic young girl.
Reader Reviews
Reader Ratings |Reviews
Susan
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2015
The Annunciation is a coming of age and historical novel that weaves histories of Roman Catholicism and Italian religious art. The novel details the work of Fra Angelico and Florence, Italy and even a bit of Detroit, Michigan. It is rated general audiences, so one's teenager, facing life choices such as college, career and marriage, might discuss the book's topics with family. Intrigue, romance and assassination play a role in cleverly laid out scenes. Reading The Annunciation stimulates further research. This reader found out that childhood churches closed, the Piagnoni were real, and Fra Angelico painted his famed frescoes as devotions and not commissions. The novel is well paced and touches only at the very end upon one of the Catholic Church's negatives, the sexual abuse by some priests.
Nancy
It has a quality which makes me think it would make a fine film.
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2015
The book is written in the exciting style of a Dan Brown story. It is completely ed with twists and turns. It has a quality which makes me think it would make a fine film.
This exciting and unusual novel is based on true events from the late 1990’s. The book centers around an assassination attempt on the Pope by underground radicals, which closely involved a group of foreign students participating in an art restoration program in Italy. Two of the students, Olivia Gianetti, and Finn McNelis, fall in love but keep it a secret because they have sworn to be celibate and are confused by their feelings for each other. The writing was journalistic and factual, even brief at times but filled with details. Side characters, among them Vanessa, a fellow seminarian of Olivia’s and a confidante, Father Paggi, a friendly priest, and Daresh Oldani, the planned assassin of the Pope were shown colorfully. The end was a surprise, and the frequent from the characters helped flesh out the premise and situations. I'd only rate it as I did because it was quite boring in many areas, but it was still worth reading. I was given this book by BookLookBloggers in exchange for my honest opinion.
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2015
Ron Teachworth’s The Annunciation is an entertaining and gratifying read. Placed in Florence, Italy, in the recent past the concisely written and fast paced narrative features Florence’s beautiful ancient churches and artistic heritage as the setting for a conspiratorial plot, youthful romance, a furtive organization of radical monks, a hired assassin, the discovery of 500 year old hidden papers, and the complex maneuverings behind a Papal visit to Florence. Characters of Florence’s ancient past are featured in the narrative as well – as Savanorolla, Fra Angelico, Leonardo and their legacies live on in the modern Florence of the novel. Teachworth has written a taut story with distinctive, fleshed-out characters and perceptive observations of both modern and ancient aspects of the city, its art and the church that has been and is today an inseparable part of the soul of Florence. Highly recommended.
Lynn C. Peters
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2014
This is a unique and different book worth reading and going back and reading again. I truly enjoyed the book and with the rich descriptions from the author detailing the surroundings, it carries you to Italy waiting to see what happens next! Is it a book of art study, the Catholic faith, a thriller or a love story? I am sure that everyone will have a different idea of what this book means to them. But every one that reads the book will also come to one conclusion that’s it’s an excellent informative, exciting book to read. I also found it interesting that the author weaves the magic of the story and while doing so, he gives you a little art history class which I loved and learned so much. Kudos to the author and I will wait for the sequel.
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2015
It seems to me by reading other reviews of Ron Teachworth's book called 'Annunciation' that they were so taken with his information on frescoes and Renaissance art that they overlooked one main issue: Mr. Teachworth has no command of dialogue at all. His characters have very wooden conversations, and while he does make an effort, the end result is very plain and unemotional. To give him credit, he's done his research on Fra Angelico's work in Italy and also da Vinci. There were a few inconsistencies, but none that affected the book like his dialogue. The story opens with American Catholic students going to Italy to repair frescoes that needed cleaning and with others help, restoration. So far, so good. There's some drama, a mystery involving some work of Leonardo da Vinci's that had been hidden for centuries, a romance and a plot to kill then-Pope John Paul II. Sounds appealing and shows promise. I enjoy Catholic fiction and truly love art history, so I figured this book would fill many interests. Well, the story does hold together, even with some hiccups. My recommendation is to stick with the storyline, but make the characters more human and realistic. Give their words emotion, and make them actually believable. (i received this e-book free to review from booklookbloggers)
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2014
When I first heard about "The Annunciation" by Ron Teachworth, I was afraid it would be either another exercise in Catholic bashing, or an indulgence in pre-Vatican II nostalgia. It was neither. Instead it was a fast paced story of young men and women who were seriously considering the religious life while immersed in the cultural and artistic glory of Florence. I especially enjoyed Teachworth’s grasp of Florentine fresco painting and the origins of the Renaissance. Just as enjoyable were the references to Detroit’s Catholic community and its colleges and universities. The plot also involves a rather touching romance, so even if you are not religious and are not especially interested in the paintings of Fra Angelico, you will still enjoy this book.
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2014
This engaging novel, The Annunciation, takes the reader on a fresh, contemporary trek through art history, Catholic history and the cultural wonders of Florence. The pleasure of the story is in seeing this rich combination through the eyes of college students working on a summer art restoration fellowship. The author's rich descriptions and the blend of mystery, danger, politics and romance make for a satisfying and memorable read. As a secular, avid reader, I highly recommend this book. Ruth Winter
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2014
“The Annunciation” by Ron Teachworth is an intriguing and captivating fictional novel combining mystery, culture and romance. The author’s thorough and descriptive imagery about the paintings of Fra Angelico, the beautiful artistic culture of Florence, the thrilling mystery surrounding the renaissance politics and religion of G. Savonarola’s Piagnoni followers in their quest for religious reform, and the affectionate love story between Finn and “Livie”. “The Annunciation” is an enjoyable book to read, I highly recommend it. CT
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2015
I just finished The Annunciation by Ron Teachworth and this book has it all; action, ancient secrets of da Vinci, drama, assassins, suspense and a love story. All my Catholic friends would really appreciate the time, detail and knowledge Mr. Teachworth put into this book. Very impressed!