Roberta Rich
Historical/Thriller
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Praise for The Midwife of Venice: "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 blend of both." "The Midwife of Venice is a compelling and engaging novel, a well-researched high-stakes drama written with elegance and compassion. Fascinating!" "An engrossing, well-written, and fast-paced story about a fascinating period in history. The descriptions of sixteenth century Venice were so vivid, they were almost tangible." "A meticulously researched page-turner that evokes Renaissance Venice with remarkable clarity, radiance, and vigour." "Not only did Roberta Rich transport me to 16th century Venice with its seductive tapestries of smells, sights, textures, and beliefs, she involved me in a poignant story of seasoned love." "Rich paints vivid imagery...The Midwife of Venice offers much for readers to learn in the ways of Renaissance-era midwifery, the slave trade and even the diabolical tricks of 16th century courtesans." "compelling... those who are curious about religion, birthing or 16th century history will enjoy this book." "The Midwife of Venice is one of the best novels to be written in the genre of historical fiction since The Girl with the Pearl Earring.
Doubleday Canada
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Roberta RichThe Midwife of VeniceHannah ha-Levi, a midwife in the Venetian ghetto is put in terrible danger. She has gained renown for her skill in coaxing reluctant babies out of their mother’s bellies using her “birthing spoons” as rudimentary forceps. One night a Christian nobleman, Conte Paolo di Padovani appears at Hannah’s door in the Jewish ghetto with an impossible request. He implores Hannah to help his dying wife and save their unborn child. But a Papal edict has made it a crime, punishable by death, for Jews to give medical treatment to Christians. The Conte offers her a huge sum of money, enough to enable her to sail to Malta to ransom her beloved husband, Isaac. He was captured at sea and is a slave of the Knights of St. John. Hannah acquiesces and delivers the infant, Matteo, a child who captures her heart. As she prepares to depart for Malta to rescue Isaac, she discovers that the baby’s uncles are plotting to murder the baby in order to seize the family fortune. In the absence of the Conte and his wife who are in Ferrara on urgent family matters, Hannah believes she must safeguard Matteo. She enlists her sister Jessica who is a courtesan and living as a Christian outside the ghetto. An outbreak of the plague traps them in Venice and makes them easy prey for the baby’s murderous uncles. Woven through Hannah’s travails are Isaac’s hardships as a slave in Malta. Blessed with wit and charm, he earns scraps of food as a scribe and pins his hopes for freedom on bartering his precious silkworm eggs. To reach Isaac, who believes she has died in the plague, Hannah must outsmart the Padovani family and sail to Malta before Isaac manages to buy his passage to a new life in Constantinople. Roberta Rich has crafted an enthralling story that makes 16th Century Venice throb with life and suspense. Her next novel will be set in Constantinople. She divides her time between Vancouver and Mexico. Interview with Roberta Rich, Summer 2012 Roberta Rich Interview on Venice Find out more about Roberta on her website: Click here for an interview with Roberta Rich and Joy Fielding in the National Post: Click here the Globe & Mail review of The Midwife of Venice: 20 questions with Roberta Rich: How Roberta found her genre: For more reviews click on links below: *4 stars on Good Reads* Listen to Roberta's interview on CBC radio's North by Northwest:
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