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Cargando... The Midwife of Venice (2011)por Roberta Rich
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Inscríbete en LibraryThing para averiguar si este libro te gustará. Actualmente no hay Conversaciones sobre este libro. Historical Romance Ingenious plot! The narration is top class. I can't help falling in love with Hannah, the heroine, the resourceful midwife of Venice. For reasons obscure to myself, this book reminds me of "the tomato rhapsody". I'm not trying to compare them. Reading this book has evoked wonderful memories of the "the tomato rhapsody". Of course one can draw a few parallels between both books. For example, Jew ostracism, ghetto and inquisition of Jews etc Characters are wonderfully fleshed. The kind of book one can sit back and enjoy. No heavy sentiment or brain whacking subplots. Set in 1575, a nobleman comes to the Jewish Ghetto to hire Midwife Hannah, which is against papal edict. Going against her Rabbi, Hannah takes the job to earn $$ to ransom her husband, Isaac, who has been sold into slavery in Malta. The story goes back and forth between Venice and Malta, as Hannah tries to save herself and the newborn noble baby & Isaac tries to free himself before he starves. The Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich is a historical fiction story that is set in 16th century Venice and Malta as it follows the story of Hannah and her husband Isaac. As Jews they live in the ghetto of Venice and have strict laws that must be followed. In order to get ahead, Isaac has ventured forth on a trade expedition, but unfortunately his ship was captured by the Knights of Malta and he is being held as a slave until he can be ransomed. When Hannah is approached by a nobleman who is desperate for her to come and help his wife, she is reluctant as it is forbidden for Jews to assist at Christian births. She does agree when the Count offers her 200 ducats. This will be enough money to free her husband. Unfortunately her assistance makes her the target of jealous relatives of the Count. The story switches back and forth between Venice and Malta, as both Hannah and Isaac must surmount many difficulties in their quest to be together again. I enjoyed The Midwife of Venice, finding it a very fast moving and captivating story. It seemed a little simplified, although the author supplies plenty of drama, intrigue and action. I did think that the characters could have been a little more developed as they were rather one dimensional but it did hold my interest and I see there is a sequel that I will definitely plan on reading in the future.
In her debut novel, Roberta Rich introduces a unique heroine, and her wry humour leavens a serious subject. Not wholly an intense social drama or an over-the-top adventure, The Midwife of Venice is a quirky yet diverting blend of both...For those looking for a meaty historical novel that leaves no loose ends, this may not be the best book to choose. But if you might like seeing Jewish folklore and Mediterranean history wrapped into a rousing story, suspend your disbelief for a time and follow along with Hannah and Isaac as they fight their way back to one another.
Hannah Levi is renowned throughout Venice for her gift at coaxing reluctant babies from their mothers- a gift aided by the secret "birthing spoons" 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? Hannah's 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. No se han encontrado descripciones de biblioteca. |
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Google Books — Cargando... GénerosSistema Decimal Melvil (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyClasificación de la Biblioteca del CongresoValoraciónPromedio:
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