A book filled with real history relayed in an easy pick up and read sort of way. Portrays the amazing story of Newburyport - the small city with mighty stories - through the centuries in a way that will make you want to read more of these stories.

When I read this book I felt as if I was really in Newburyport. The stories are perfectly detailed, and the stories simply flow from the pages to your mind. I would reccomend this book to anyone who loves to read about America's history from colonial times to mid 1900s. Buy it! it's great!

Wonderful story about artist/school custodian/aging hippie mom Godiva Blue, her fifteen-year old daughter Dylan, and Dylan's act of mom-defying teenage rebellion, her quest to discover the identity of and meet her father. The mother/daughter relationship themes are well-developed in the text; as much as Godiva wants to be unique and raise her child to be questioning & independent, she learns that she is no different than every other mom out there -- she wants her daughter to accept her values; she wants her daughter to be safe and loved & cared for (rather than striking off on risky adventures.) The book was definitely a page turner, but it left me hanging in the end. I wanted more -- I felt that the issues with Dylan's father were unresolved, and I was disappointed that the book ended when it did. Nonetheless, a very good novel.

"Playing Botticelli" was a great read. Dylan is a well-adjusted teenager who lives in Florida with her art-inspired mother, Godiva. Dylan finds a picture of her "missing" father and decides to find him. Godiva, none-the-wiser to Dylan's absence, finally realizes where her daughter went. After a long hard trip, Dylan returns to her mother. This book was wonderful. I wish it was longer and I hope for a sequel.

Godiva Blue is one of the most successful "unlikeable narrators" in contemporary fiction. She's strong, funny and full of herself, and she knows it and we know it. Her daughter Dylan is the perfect evocation of a teenage girl. I feel like I know these people. Thank you, Ms. Nelson, for writing such a wise book. I enjoyed it as if it were a birthday gift.