I seem to be on a historical fiction kick lately. My latest read was The Midwife of Venice (Gallery Books) by Roberta Rich. As a mother who wanted a midwife to attend to my second birth, I find the midwifery fascinating. (I ended up staying with my ob-gyn who I love!)
Set in 16th century, The Midwife of Venice tells parallel stories of Jewish midwife Hannah and her husband Isaac Levi. The Levis live in a Jewish ghetto in Venice, but Isaac has been captured at sea and enslaved on the island of Malta. Desperate to earn money for her husband’s ransom, Hannah breaks Papal law when she attends to a countess’ labor. A Papal edict forbids Jews from medically treating Christians, but the count is desperate after his wife labors for days without any progress. Hannah is well known for her midwifery skills and bargains for a high fee. Hannah becomes unwittingly entangled in the count’s family politics and must deal with the consequences before she can sail to Malta.
Each chapter alternates between Hannah and Isaac’s stories. I found Hannah’s story richer and more interesting than Isaac’s attempt to escape slavery and Malta. Roberta Rich describes life in Venice in great detail. The Venetians’ fear as the Bubonic plague spread throughout the city felt very real as did the rotting food that Hannah avoided as she walked down the streets. Rich showed us the contrast between Jewish life and Christian life in the 16th century. The Jews lived in constant fear of the Christians’ hostility. Hannah’s Rabbi warns that Hannah’s entire ghetto would be blamed and killed if the birth she attended did not produce a live baby.
Meanwhile, Isaac’s story seemed to exist just as a catalyst for Hannah’s motivation throughout the novel. I didn’t really get a sense of Isaac until halfway through the book. It didn’t mean that his story wasn’t interesting. I wanted to get through Isaac’s chapters as quickly as possible so I could get back to Hannah! Once Hannah and Isaac are reunited, I found the ending to be a bit too tidy and rushed.
There are mentions of Jewish customs that I am now slightly familiar with after reading I Am Forbidden, our most recent From Left to Write book club selection. I found it very help to have a working understanding of Jewish marital relations as well as divorce.
Books like The Midwife in Venice is why I love reading historical fiction. Roberta Rich doesn’t romanticize life in 1575, but gives her readers a realistic view of life in Venice.
I received a copy of the book for review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.
by Anna M. Campbell to review. I was really excited about this book; I love ideas about raising conscious and aware children that can become productive members of society. Normally, I find parenting books in and of themselves to be off putting (I’ve checked out more than a few that seem condescending, and mundane). Happily, I immediately clicked with this author’s relaxed writing style and obvious devotion to her children and family.
