![]() This rage manifests on her sister’s wedding day, when Flavia uses deeply shaded dye to paint her birthmark onto every piece of cloth her sister owns-including her wedding dress. Born with a disfiguring scar on her cheek in the shape of a bird, Flavia’s mother keeps her hidden away, and the young woman is certain she will never enjoy a normal life. ![]() In her debut historical novel set in Italy, author Kate Howard explores the dangerous business of beauty and the consequences of women pitting themselves against one another to achieve a romanticized ideal image.įlavia is the daughter of a dyer, living in rural isolation with her family and chafing against the restrictions such a life has put on her. This juxtaposition of ugly consequences in the hunt for beauty has long been a dark mark on cultures, a largely open secret that women have sought to overcome or ignore for generations. In so doing women have also engaged in highly risky behavior that leaves their bodies and faces permanently damaged, feeding a cycle of abuse in the name of pleasing the gaze of others. The details change from century to century, yet throughout time women have plucked, painted, and preened themselves to reach an ever-shifting idea of physical perfection. 300 pages.ĭespite being ever-evolving, the culture of beauty is one that looks similar across the ages.
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