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The Midwife of Venice
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The Midwife of Venice Paperback - 2012

by Roberta Rich

Beautifully told with exceptional skill, "The Midwife of Venice" brings to life a time and a place cloaked in fascination and mystery and introduces a captivating new talent in historical fiction.


Summary

Hannah Levi is renowned throughout Venice for her gift at coaxing reluctant babies from their mothersâÈ'a gift aided by the secret âÈêbirthing spoonsâÈë she designed. But when a count implores her to attend to his wife, who has been laboring for days to give birth to their firstborn son, Hannah is torn. A Papal edict forbids Jews from rendering medical treatment to Christians, but the payment he offers is enough to ransom her beloved husband, Isaac, who has been captured at sea. Can Hannah refuse her duty to a suffering woman? HannahâÈçs choice entangles her in a treacherous family rivalry that endangers the baby and threatens her voyage to Malta, where Isaac, believing her dead in the plague, is preparing to buy his passage to a new life. Not since The Red Tent or People of the Book has a novel transported readers so intimately into the complex lives of women centuries ago or so richly into a story of intrigue that transcends the boundaries of history.

From the publisher

Not since Anna Diamant's The Red Tent or Geraldine Brooks's People of the Book has a novel transported readers so intimately into the complex lives of women centuries ago or so richly into a story of intrigue that transcends the boundaries of history. A "lavishly detailed" (Elle Canada) debut that masterfully captures sixteenth-century Venice against a dramatic and poetic tale of suspense. Hannah Levi is renowned throughout Venice for her gift at coaxing reluctant babies from their mothers using her secret "birthing spoons." When a count implores her to attend his dying wife and save their unborn son, she is torn. A Papal edict forbids Jews from rendering medical treatment to Christians, but his payment is enough to ransom her husband Isaac, who has been captured at sea. Can she refuse her duty to a woman who is suffering? Hannah's choice entangles her in a treacherous family rivalry that endangers the child and threatens her voyage to Malta, where Isaac, believing her dead in the plague, is preparing to buy his passage to a new life. Told with exceptional skill, The Midwife of Venice brings to life a time and a place cloaked in fascination and mystery and introduces a captivating new talent in historical fiction.

Details

  • Title The Midwife of Venice
  • Author Roberta Rich
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition [ Edition: Repri
  • Pages 352
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Gallery Books, New York
  • Date 2012-02-14
  • ISBN 9781451657470 / 1451657471
  • Weight 0.6 lbs (0.27 kg)
  • Dimensions 8 x 5.2 x 1 in (20.32 x 13.21 x 2.54 cm)
  • Themes
    • Ethnic Orientation: Jewish
    • Religious Orientation: Jewish
  • Library of Congress subjects Historical fiction, Jews
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

"A beautifully conceived debut novel... AÂ finely drawn plot with well-developed characters to
whom the reader feels a deep connection. Historical fact is well preserved in the fictional story, and it seems clear that Rich herself feels an abiding connection with that story and her characters. The pages fly by as we too connect deeply with Hannah and Isaac. A highly recommended novel."

Citations

  • Kirkus Reviews, 03/01/2012, Page 0
  • Publishers Weekly, 01/02/2012, Page 57

About the author

Roberta Rich divides her time between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Colima, Mexico. This is her first novel.
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