What I think I enjoyed the most about this book was how wonderfully strong, determined, and smart the protagonist is. Emilia Serafini is a fourteen year old girl coming of age in Renaissance Italy, and all she wants is to be a painter. This is not a typically achievable goal for a woman in that time period, but Emilia refuses to give up, even fighting against the marriage her father has already arranged for her.

To help her, Emilia relies on her book, A Manual to the Science of Alchemy, a tome that has been passed down the matrilineal line of her family for generations. This book, combined with Emilia's determination, grit, and talent, may just be enough to see her to her dreams.

Nonna's Book of Mysteries contains a delightfully varied cast of supporting characters, from villains, to love interests, to mentors and friends. But it is Emilia that is the real star of the story, and rightly so. ( )