Excerpt from Disobedient by Elizabeth Fremantle, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

"All that violence," her mother says. "Is it necessary?"

"Who is Judith?' Artemisia asks, sitting up, her curiosity sparked.

They fuss over her: does her head hurt, is she dizzy, can she see clearly?

"But who's Judith?" she asks again.

"She was a very courageous woman from the Bible," her mother says. "You will learn about her when you are older."

"Was she a murderer too, like Beatrice Cenci?" Artemisia notices a severe look pass from her mother to her father, as if to say: See what you've started.

"No, my love. She killed her enemy to save her people, the Lord's people. It is different."

"But how is it different?"

"It just is." Her father slams the conversation shut.

Merisi looks up from his drawing. This time, his wink makes Artemisia feel uneasy.

Excerpted from Disobedient by Elizabeth Fremantle. Copyright © 2023 by Elizabeth Fremantle. Excerpted by permission of Pegasus Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.