Books like In the name of the family by Sarah Dunant
Sarah Dunant brings her renowned expertise on Renaissance Italy to a new volume that centers on the Borgia family. As Cesare Leone Borgia ruthlessly pursues the unification of all Italian city‑states, the rival city of Florence dispatches Niccolò Machiavelli as an envoy to Rome. Meanwhile, Lucrezia Borgia immerses herself in the high‑stakes political maneuvering that defines the era. The book offers a richly detailed portrait of the Borgias’ rise to power and the political drama that surrounds them.
First publish date: 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction/Medieval Historical Fiction
Authors: Sarah Dunant
★
★
★
★
★
3.0 (1 community ratings)
How are these books recommended?
The books recommended for In the name of the family by Sarah Dunant are shaped by reader interaction. Votes on how closely books relate, user ratings, and community comments all help refine these recommendations and highlight books readers genuinely find similar in theme, ideas, and overall reading experience.
Have you read any of these books?
Your votes, ratings, and comments help improve recommendations and make it easier
for other readers to discover books they’ll enjoy.
Books similar to In the name of the family (23 similar books)
A charming novel of Regency manners and mores, Lady Susan Vernon seeks an advantageous second marriage and attempts to force her daughter into a dismal match.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A historical narrative from the perspectives of Jane Boleyn, Anne of Cleves, and Katherine Howard, revealing the intrigues and personal struggles of Henry VIII’s fourth and fifth queens.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Mario Puzo traces the rise of the Borgia family, revealing the intertwined forces of ambition, faith, and power that shaped one of Italy’s most notorious dynasties.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A spirited young traveler arrives at Emperor Akbar’s court with a tale of a mysterious, enchantress woman whose story travels to Florence, juxtaposing the hedonistic Mughal capital with the sensual High Renaissance city.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Elizabeth and Mary is a dual biography of England’s Elizabeth I and Scotland’s Mary, Queen of Scots, exploring their rivalry, political strategies, and personal dynamics as sisters‑in‑law and rivals for the English throne.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In this historical fiction, Cicero’s rise and fall in Rome’s political arena showcases his moral struggle against the ascendant power of Caesar, culminating in a brief, triumphant return to the Senate.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A concise historical exploration of Mary Boleyn, the lesser-known sister of Anne, set within the Tudor court of 1508–1543.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In Victorian London, long‑separated friends Emily ‘Fido’ Faithfull and Helen rekindle a bond when Fido steers Helen into an affair with a young army officer, only to risk everything with a mysterious sealed letter.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Through a Glass Darkly follows Barbara Alderley, a beautiful fifteen‑year‑old noblewoman, as love, ambition and family intrigue unfold within the ruthless circles of the English aristocracy.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In 1855 Lucy Lobdell cuts her hair, adopts a male persona, and boldly gains freedoms forbidden to women—traveling solo, carrying a rifle, drinking in bars, and forming same‑gender relationships—while confronting public scorn and a nascent understanding of her own sexual identity.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In 15th‑century Rome, Victoria Holt chronicles the rise of the Borgia family, focusing on Lucrezia Borgia as she navigates scandal, family rivalry, and political intrigue while seeking personal happiness.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In fifteenth‑century Rome, Spanish Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia becomes Pope Alexander VI, wielding papal power to advance his Italian city's fortunes through his ruthless family—sons Cesare and daughter Lucrezia—against a backdrop of corruption and ambition.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Mary Beth Keane’s *Fever* brings the true story of Typhoid Mary to life, exploring her role as a covert public health threat in early 20th‑century America.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A vivid historical fiction set in Renaissance Italy that follows the rise and challenges of Lucrezia Borgia, daughter of the infamous Pope Alexander VI, illuminating the intrigues and power struggles of the Borgia family.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Set in 11th‑century Palermo under Norman rule, The Ruby in Her Navel follows young knight Thurstan Beauchamp as he navigates politics, faith, and personal loyalties while uncovering conspiracies against the king.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A Way in the World is V. S. Naipaul’s introspective historical novel that traces a writer’s quest to understand inheritance, language, and the tangled legacies of Spanish and British imperialism in the Caribbean.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Lucrezia Borgia: A Daughter's Tale of Power and Passion in Renaissance Italy
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
An historical fiction portrait of the powerful d'Este family in Renaissance Ferrara, weaving intrigue and family drama into a vivid depiction of Italian noble life.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Some Other Similar Books
A Rule Against Murder by Catherine LloydThe Crimson Portrait by Fiona Malley
The Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
The Queen’s Fool by Philippa Gregory
Have a similar book in mind? Let others know!
Please login to submit books!