Disobedient

Get in the xigxag app
Already purchased

Click to open directly in the xigxag app.

This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book. Pre-order Buy Now ${{ price }} Send as a gift

Listen to a sample

What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

I'll show you what a woman can do . . .

Rome 1611.

A jewel-bright place of change, with sumptuous new palaces and lavish wealth on display. A city where women are seen but not heard.

Artemisia Gentileschi dreams of becoming a great artist. Motherless, she grows up among a family of painters - men and boys. She knows she is more talented than her brothers, but she cannot choose her own future. She wants to experience the world, but she belongs to her father and will belong to a husband.

As Artemisia patiently goes from lesson to lesson, perfecting her craft, she also paints in private, recreating the women who inspire her, away from her father's eyes.

Until a mysterious tutor enters her life. Tassi is a dashing figure, handsome and worldly, and for a moment he represents everything that a life of freedom might offer. But then the unthinkable happens.

In the eyes of her family, Artemisia should accept her fate. In the eyes of the law, she is the villain.

But Artemisia is a survivor. And this is her story to tell.

'An exhilarating read. Through effervescent prose, Elizabeth Fremantle brings the story of artist Artemisia Gentileschi to life. Gripping, captivating, and consistently enlightening, Disobedient firmly places Gentileschi as one of the greatest female heroines in history'
KATY HESSEL

©2023 E C Fremantle (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critics Review

Magical, thrilling, wonderful, excellent. Heartpoundingly tense and absolutely engrossing. Clever, amazing and inspiring

Daily Mail

I could not put this book down. Every woman – and man – should read it.
Shocking, gripping, Fremantle has crafted a tale that vividly evokes Baroque Italy
by portraying a strong, assertive women. Splendid!

ALISON WEIR

Vivid, unflinching, justly furious. Fremantle’s best work

The Times, Historical Fiction of the Month

Dazzling. Taut, fast-paced, powerful and painterly as Artemisia’s canvases

Mail on Sunday

A great female artist struggling for her voiceand for justice is brought to powerful life. Brilliantly researched, rich in detail, grippingly written, Disobedient is the novel Elizabeth Fremantle was born to write

ELIZABETH BUCHAN

A searing, gripping account of the early life of baroque prodigy Artemisia Gentileschi

Daily Mail

A WONDERFUL HERO: creative, passionate and true to herself

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING SUMMER READING

An exhilarating read. Through effervescent prose, Elizabeth Fremantle brings the story of artist Artemisia Gentieschi to life. Gripping, captivating, and consistently enlightening, Disobedient firmly places Gentileschi as one of the greatest female heroines in history

KATY HESSEL

You’ll be gripped by this fictionalised account of the life of the remarkable Italian Renaissance painter Artemisia Gentileschi. The author brings 17th-century Italy to life

Woman & Home

Artemisia’s life was extraordinary, and so is this book. I was swept away
by lush, evocative prose that transported me to a painter’s studio in Rome in the 1600s.
Through the eyes of a defiant and determined young woman, Fremantle weaves
Artemisia’s paintings into events, endowing Artemisia with the dignity, courage and honour she deserves. An unforgettable, moving and important story told with great skill and care

JENNIFER SAINT

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
5.0
5.0
Exceptionalu2026incredibly moving.
mueller23 02/08/2023
5.0
5.0
Very powerful and brutally beautiful
Sarahmccaffreyx 29/12/2024

About xigxag

Enjoy the best audiobooks on xigxag, an innovative, user-friendly audiobook platform that makes it easy to find, purchase, and enjoy your favorite books in audio format. xigxag’s flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less – affordable prices and the best audiobook deals with no subscription required.  Give the perfect gift with our audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.

 

xigxag’s commitment to sustainability and ethical practices ensures a guilt-free listening experience from an exceptional digital book platform – an exciting alternative to big tech.  Enjoy audiobooks from the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service and a leader in audiobook innovation.

 

Search effortlessly, read honest audiobook reviews evaluating both the book and the narration, and discover hidden gems.  Download or stream top audiobook titles anytime, anywhere and get the best possible listening experience on the UK’s best independent audiobook app.  Experience the future of audiobooks today.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to get tailored content recommendations, product updates and info on new releases. Your data is your own: we commit to protect your data and respect your privacy.