Hannah Levi is known throughout sixteenth-century Venice for her skill in midwifery. But when a Christian nobleman appears at her door in the Jewish ghetto, imploring her to help his wife who is dying in childbirth, Hannah's compassion is tested. Not only is it illegal for Jews to render medical treatment to Christians, it's punishable by torture or death.
Yet Hannah finds she cannot refuse the chance to make more money than she's ever seen in her whole life. With such a handsome sum, she could save her husband, Isaac, who months earlier was captured at sea and forced into slavery in Malta by the Knights of St. John. Aided by her forbidden "birthing spoons" - rudimentary forceps she invented to coax reluctant babies out of their mothers' wombs - Hannah agrees to assist the nobleman and attend to his ailing wife and child. Will she be able to save the mother and the baby? And if she does, will she also be able to save herself?
Woven through Hannah's travails in Venice is the story of Isaac and his life as a slave in Malta. Fearing that Hannah has perished in the plague, he pins whatever hopes he has of returning home to her on his talent for writing love letters that melt even the hardest of hearts.
The Midwife of Venice is an enthralling historical adventure and a gloriously satisfying tale about midwifery, motherhood, and the lengths to which one good woman will go for love.
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Novels like The Midwife of Venice reaffirm my view that historical fiction is the most compelling genre.
This action-packed tale of love, religion and compassion is a quick read at 329 pages. What I like most about this novel is Roberta Rich's treatment of the opposing societies of 1575 Venice. Rich exposes the hypocrisy of both the Christian and Jewish communities and the bravery of three very different types of women: Hannah the Jewish midwife, Lucia the Christian noblewoman and Jessica, Hannah's sister who is now a courtesan and converted Christian.
Although the Jews are at a disadvantage in 16th century Venice, Rich does not portray them as being all innocence. In fact, Hannah and Isaac's Rabbi is depicted as a mean-spirited and duplicitous man in an unhappy marriage, who is most concerned with making his flock follow his orders rather than helping them to live honest and fulfilling lives. He refuses to pay Isaac's ransom unless he divorces Hannah despite previously telling Hannah that Isaac's ransom would be paid.
The Catholics don't fare much better. Asunta, the Catholic nun who purchases Isaac at the slave auction in Malta quickly sells him to Joseph, a cruel slave owner whom she admits will most likely work Isaac to death, after Isaac refuses to convert to Catholicism. She is cruel and hypocritical. After Isaac refuses to convert, she makes him pull her in a cart, like a horse to town so that she can sell him to Joseph. Before leaving the convent Isaac asks her to hold on to silkworm eggs for him. Once she realizes how valuable the eggs could be for the convent she refuses to return them to Isaac.
Despite the easy-read and the vivid descriptions, there are some holes in the plot. The Conte is suppose to be a wise man yet he can't see what's under his nose. His brothers don't want him to have a heir. They want the estate to fall into their hands so they can cover the debts they've incurred from reckless living. There's even some hinting that his brother's might be responsible for the death of other kids the countess has borne who died mysteriously in early infancy. Plus, it doesn't add up that the count and countess would labour so long for a child and then leave him unguarded to go off to see her ill father. They have more than enough money to secure a wet nurse and the most comfortable accommodations during their travels.
In regards to Isaac's storyline, why would the Knights of St. John sell him to someone that might work him to death if they plan on ransoming him?
At the end of the day, despite the plot gaps, The Midwife of Venice is one of the best historical fictions I've read in a while.
4/5
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