For five centuries, the story of Leonardo da Vinci's mother has remained a blank page in the historical record. Now, a book titled Mirrors of Time: A Circassian Princess and Secrets of Mona Lisa by MELRA, published by Melmar Books Inc. on December 2, 2026, claims to fill that void with an account that is as controversial as it is captivating. The book's significance lies not only in its bold assertions about Leonardo's lineage but in its challenge to conventional history and its invitation to reconsider the nature of memory and inspiration.
The narrative centers on Herminia Yegeruqway, a Circassian princess born in 1436, whose life MELRA says she recalled under hypnosis in 1999. According to the book, Herminia was Leonardo's secret mother for nearly four years before a conspiracy separated them. This claim directly confronts the accepted historical narrative, which has long relegated Leonardo's mother to obscurity, often depicting her as a peasant woman. By giving her a name, a lineage, and a voice, the book seeks to restore a forgotten figure to the historical stage. The implications are profound: if true, or even if widely believed, it could reshape our understanding of Leonardo's formative years and the emotional underpinnings of his art.
The book also offers alternative answers to some of the most enduring riddles surrounding Leonardo's work. Why did he write in mirror script? What is the mystery of the three Mona Lisas? What do the letters hidden in the Mona Lisa's eyes mean? Where did he go during his two-year disappearance? And what is the spiritual meaning of his lost horse statue? MELRA's account, dictated in two weeks through self-hypnosis, posits that these mysteries are connected to Herminia's influence and a deathbed prophecy that Leonardo's great horse would "stand again in 500 years." Notably, the bronze Cavallo di Leonardo was unveiled in Milan on September 10, 1999, one week after MELRA's sessions ended—a coincidence that believers may see as validation and skeptics as mere happenstance.
Beyond the historical intrigue, Mirrors of Time is a spiritual autobiography that traces Herminia's journey from Circassian paganism through Orthodox Christianity and Sufi mysticism to her eventual conversion to Christ. The book includes 352 wisdom quotes from various religious and spiritual traditions, emphasizing a universal search for the One God without asserting superiority of any path. This aspect positions the book within a growing genre of spiritual literature that blends personal revelation with historical speculation, appealing to readers of The Alchemist, Life of Pi, The Da Vinci Code, and Many Lives, Many Masters.
The announcement of this book matters because it raises fundamental questions about how history is written and whose stories are told. It challenges the academic consensus not with archival evidence but with a claim of remembered experience, forcing readers to confront the boundaries between faith and fact, memory and imagination. In an era where alternative narratives increasingly compete with established scholarship, Mirrors of Time exemplifies the power of personal testimony to disrupt accepted truths. Whether embraced or dismissed, the book ensures that Leonardo's mother will no longer be a mere footnote but a subject of renewed debate and fascination.
For those interested in exploring this story further, a trailer is available at www.mirrors-of-time.com, and the exclusive limited leather edition can be pre-ordered at www.mirrors-of-time.com/shop. Additional information about the publisher is available at https://unionridgepublishing.com.
