WHAT THE ERMINE SAW The Extraordinary Journey of Leonardo da Vinci's Most Mysterious Portrait

The clarity, precision, and mellow grace of Cassandra Campbell's narrations have made her a favorite for a wide range of audiobook subjects, often the most challenging. Here she animates and maintains the continuity of a history that might easily seem esoteric, fractured, and, for long stretches, cloudy. The subject is one of da Vinci's most intriguing portraits and the background of that painting and its travels through the centuries. The combination offers a unique vantage for some fascinating historical tableaux, in particular the relations between Poland and Russia before and after Poland's partition. This long step between Milan in the 1400s and the court of Catherine the Great to the Nazi Hans Frank illustrates the importance of a steady, focused, sustaining voice. Here, Golden Voice Campbell is at her very best. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2022]