Lavinia

In "The Aeneid," Vergil's hero fights to claim the king's daughter, Lavinia, with whom he is destined to found an empire. Le Guin gives Lavinia a voice in a this novel set in the half-wild world of ancient Italy, when Rome was a muddy village near seven hills.

Intelligent, educated, and religious, Lavinia Jefferson approaches her thirtieth birthday feeling unfulfilled and frustrated. When her pastor encourages her to put her feelings on paper, the result of her writing finds its way into the hands of a twice-widowed rancher, John Barkley Dawson, in a far-off and unsettled part of the country. Lavinia leaves her secure and civilized life to experience love and adventure with J. B. in the daily challenges of marriage and motherhood. She learns firsthand about the vagaries of weather, hard work, outlaws (and in-laws), Indians, good friends, and bad enemies. She watches the West grow, enjoys innovative inventions, and experiences the joys and sorrows that go hand in hand with births and deaths. Whether it's a sheep drive to Alaska, a land dispute that ends in the Supreme Court, or big business generated by the discovery of extensive coal deposits, Lavinia and J. B. create many happy memories together. Her life touches upon many events and people whose names are well-known today, but Lavinia's focus throughout her life is on family, education, and faith. Most importantly, she's content knowing that she made the right decision in joining that man who whisked her away to a new, exciting life.

This volume investigates emblematic and art-historical issues in Lavinia Fontana’s mythological paintings. Fontana is the first female painter of the sixteenth century in Italy to depict female nudes, as well as mythological and emblematic paintings associated with concepts of beauty and wisdom. Her paintings reveal an appropriation of the antique, a fusion between patronage and culture, and a humanistic pursuit of Mannerist conceits. Fontana’s secular imagery provides a challenging paragone with the male tradition of history painting during the sixteenth century and paves the way for new subjects to be depicted and interpreted by female painters of the seventeenth century.

From Friends to Lovers When their parents married, James, Earl of Corringham, and Lady Lavinia Stanmore became as close as brother and sister. Now, years later, James has outgrown his rakish ways and is burning with a love for her that he longs to reveal. However, he faces a rival in the mysterious Lord Wincote. Torn between James and the handsome stranger, Lavinia's feelings are thrown into turmoil. But is this man really what he seems? The more Lord Wincote persists, the more Lavinia wonders if she should be looking for love a little closer to home….

When eleven-year-old Lavinia Guasca began her new life as a lady-in-waiting at the court of Turin, she brought with her a parting gift from her father Annibal (1540-1619): a detailed guidebook he wrote to help steer her through the many pitfalls of court life. Lavinia had her father's Discourse published in 1586; this English translation is the first version published in any form since that time. The Discourse displays an incredibly far-sighted view of women's education. Annibal thought gifted young girls should develop their talents and apply them to careers outside the home. In the Discourse, he details the unique and extremely rigorous educational program to which he had subjected Lavinia almost from the cradle with this end in mind. To complete Lavinia's education, Annibal filled the Discourse with advice on spirituality and morality, health and beauty, and how to behave at court—everything a well-bred lady-in-waiting would need to know. This edition also includes an appendix that traces the later events of Lavinia's life through excerpts from her father's letters.

Lavinia Warren never let her height—or the lack of it—prevent her from leading a full and adventurous life. Although she never grew more than three feet tall, she became a beloved teacher, a world traveler, an entertainer and the friend of many powerful figures. Lavinia was teaching at a local school when she heard about an opportunity to travel doing shows as a "human curiosity" on a Mississippi River boat. Eventually she met P. T. Barnum and worked at his American Museum. It was there that she met Charles Stratton, a little person known to the world as "Tom Thumb." Their wedding, which took place on February 10, 1863, brought joy to a nation at war. President and Mrs. Abraham Lincoln held a reception for the couple at the White House. The newlyweds later toured the United States and the world. Lavinia faced several tragedies but always found the strength to go on. Lavinia's extraordinary story also provides a social history of one of the most devastating periods in American history. With additional material on Tom Thumb Weddings, readers' questions, time line, and notes and bibliography, this is sure to be a valuable title for adventurous middle-grade readers.