This volume belongs to the growing body of literature on mendicant sermons in the Middle Ages. Although the subtitle refers to late medieval Italy, Eliana Corbari limits herself to the homilies delivered by the Dominican friars in Florence, with particular reference to the celebrated priory of Santa Maria Novella. Her primary interest is the emergence of vernacular theology and its popularity among the laity, especially women. Three collections of sermons preached by Dominicans, Jacopo da Varazze (c.1228–98), Giordano da Pisa (c.1260–1311) and Jacopo Passavanti (c.1300–57), form the basis of this study. Jacopo da Varazze, the author of the Legenda aurea and various chronicles, compiled his sermons in 1286, according to the explicit of some English manuscripts. More than 300 copies of his Sermones quadragesimales have been identified in manuscript as well as numerous incunabula in different part of Europe. The text includes two daily sermons from Ash Wednesday to the Tuesday of Easter week; often the second sermon for the day develops the thema pursued in the first. Those who wished to focus on the sanctorale during Lent had access to Jacopo's sermons de sanctis. Among the readers of these sermons were Benedictines and the Franciscans at Santa Croce in Florence. The Quaresimale fiorentino consists of a collection of vernacular reportationes by Giordano da Pisa in 1305/6. Among the reportatores were members of the lay fraternities associated with Santa Maria Novella. These texts demonstrate the corporate dimension of the recording of the sermons, with one person copying and another correcting. Religious women were among those who transcribed and transmitted the sermons and obtained copies for their own devotional purposes. For example, Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, ms II.IV.90, was written for women. ms Magl.XXXV.183 was acquired by a Florentine noblewoman who was related to a friar of Santa Maria Novella. Women were equally conspicuous among the owners of the sermons by Jacopo Passavanti, who was a prominent friar in Florence; there are two portraits of him at Santa Maria Novella. He was named as the executor of a will which provided funds for the construction of the friars’ chapter house. The Lo specchio della vera penitenza confirms that he preached in the Florentine vernacular. Lo specchio was written at the behest of the friar's friends who had heard him deliver sermons in the vernacular at Santa Maria Novella during Lent 1354. He wrote for the benefit of the laity and the clerics who did not have a good grasp of Latin. Chapter iv focuses on a woman who attended the friars’ sermons, Villana de’ Botti (1332–61), whose personal integrity gave rise to a cult which centred on Santa Maria Novella where she was interred. Her portrait was painted by Fra Angelico. Her relatives in the city financed the construction of a shrine for her relics and undoubtedly took part in the liturgy on her anniversary. This volume gives details of the liturgical celebrations associated with the confraternities and it shines a welcome light on aspects of the friars’ preaching in Florence and the devotions and acts of charity which they inspired among their followers. There is some repetition regarding the ownership of Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, ms Magl.XXXV.183 (p. 77, no. 9). The author is indecisive about the translation of the names of cities such as Firenze or Florence (e.g. p. 88, no.6) and Gesuiti or Jesuits (p. 81, no.18). Occasionally there are hiccups in the editorial procedure: such as ‘the initial of other sermons are decorated’ (p. 71) and ‘in these case’ (p. 144).