Author:Roberta Rich
At midnight, the dogs, cats, and rats rule Venice. The Ponte di Ghetto Nuovo, the bridge that leads to the ghetto, trembles under the weight of sacks of rotting vegetables, rancid fat, and vermin. Seeping refuse on the streets renders the pavement slick and the walking treacherous.
It was on such a night that the men came for Hannah.
Hannah Levi is famed throughout Venice for her skills as a midwife but, as a Jew, the law forbids her from attending a Christian woman.
However, when the Conte appears at her door in the dead of night, Hannah's compassion is sorely tested. And with the handsome reward he is offering, she could ransom back her husband, currently imprisoned on the island of Malta.
But if she fails in her endeavours to save mother and child, will she be able to save herself, let alone her husband?
A lavishly detailed historical novel
—— Elle MagazineA lively tale involving love, blackmail, family, murder, plague, intercultural compassion, dramatic last-minute rescues and some very creative disguises . . . Rich capably depicts the strength of women and the precariousness of their lives, regardless of status or religion
—— The Globe and MailA compelling and engaging novel, a well-researched high-stakes drama written with elegance and compassion: fascinating!
—— Sandra GullandA meticulously researched page-turner that evokes renaissance Venice with remarkable clarity, radiance, and vigour
Not only did Roberta Rich transport me to sixteenth-century Venice, with its seductive tapestry of smells, sights, textures and beliefs, she involved me in a poignant story of seasoned love. I don't know which I admired more - the wonderfully realized setting or the suspenseful story of Hannah and Isaac
—— Katherine AshenburgA suspenseful tale... The book is obviously well researched, and its descriptions of Venice and Malta are both fascinating and realistic
—— Vancouver SunRoberta Rich plunges into the stench, intrigue and skulduggery of 16th-century plague-ridden Venice. . . . Rich revels in the details of light, smell, sound, and larger-than-life characters
—— More MagazineRich successfully captures the seedy side of 16th-century Venice--the Jewish ghetto, the plague, the confluence of religious and legal authority
—— Publishers WeeklyEntertainingly suspenseful. . . . [A] moving melodrama of steadfast love against all odds. In a series of cliff-hanging chapters, Hannah transforms from a "timid little ghetto mouse" into a resourceful young woman as she seeks to save her husband and an innocent child.... Rich's fascinating historical details and her warm empathy for her protagonists will capture historical fiction fans and readers who enjoyed Anita Diamant's The Red Tent
Rich skillfully incorporates a wealth of historical detail into her riveting tale of a heroine who won't give up on her marriage
—— Chicago TribuneIt is a delicate and intriguing look at something we ultimately all have in common
—— Bookgeeks.co.ukGloriously inventive and original, euphorically daring in scope - reminds you that fiction can be energetic and boundary-breaking
—— Julie Myerson , New Statesman, Books of the YearAn inspiring take on suffering and the often fleeting nature of connection
—— Publishers WeeklyThis is a radiant, bewitching, and profoundly inquisitive novel of sorrow, perseverance, and wonderment
—— Booklist
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