The Midwife of Venice
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4.0 • 53 Ratings
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
For readers of Heather Marshall and Kate Quinn, an unforgettable, fast-paced historical debut set against the richness and squalor of sixteenth-century Venice and Malta.
Venice, 1575
Hannah ha-Levi, a midwife in the Jewish ghetto, is known throughout Venice for her skill in midwifery. When a Christian count appears at Hannah's door imploring her to attend his labouring wife who is near death, Hannah's compassion is tested. Not only is it illegal for Jews to render medical treatment to Christians, it's also punishable by torture . . . and death. But Hannah cannot turn down the money. With such a handsome sum, she can save her own husband, Isaac, who was captured at sea and taken to Malta as a slave of the Knights of St. John. Aided by her "birthing spoons"--rudimentary forceps she invented to help with difficult births--will Hannah be able to save mother and child? And if she can, will she also be able to save herself?
Woven through Hannah's travails is the story of Isaac's life as a captive slave in Malta. Fearing that his wife has perished in the plague, he pins his hopes of returning home to Hannah on his talent for writing love letters that melt even the hardest of hearts.
Riveting, lush, and compulsively readable, The Midwife of Venice combines propulsive adventure with richly evocative historical writing.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In her U.S. debut, Rich successfully captures the seedy side of 16th-century Venice the Jewish ghetto, the plague, the confluence of religious and legal authority but stumbles with unevenly rendered main characters. Hannah, a midwife, and Isaac Levi are Venetian Jews. Isaac, a trader, is captured at sea and held for ransom in Malta by the Knights of St. John. Hannah is legally forbidden to treat Christians, but as a healer and a woman suddenly in need of money she cannot refuse the request of a high-born Venetian to help his wife give birth. Though she delivers the baby safely, the infant faces mortal danger and Hannah's involvement deepens, leaving her susceptible to charges of murder and witchcraft. To evade authorities, she must rely on her estranged sister, a courtesan. Meanwhile, Isaac languishes on Malta. His kidnappers sell him as a slave to a nun, who in turn sells him to a brutish peasant. Using his wits to survive (selling his writing skills and helping woo a beautiful woman), he escapes captivity, but his and Hannah's harrowing efforts to reunite are stymied at every turn. Both characters demonstrate intelligence, but only Isaac comes to full life: his thoughts, feelings, humor, and behavior leap off the page.
Customer Reviews
Midwife of Venice
Fantastically written- a real page turner!
Mom
This was my summer read at the beach last summer-one of the best books I have ever read!!