A unique woman: Rebecca of Salerno

A Novel of Rogue Crusaders, a Jewish Female Physician, and a Murder

by Esther Erman

When I was in the ninth grade my class read Ivanhoe. There were times when I did not find this to be an absorbing story. However, I was very struck by the book having a Jewish character in Rebecca who was a foil to the Anglo Saxon Rowena. Jewish young women surely were not well represented in the literature of the time.

I’ve often thought of rereading Ivanhoe but have never actually done it. However when I saw this title on NetGalley, I began thinking of Rebecca and how she was portrayed in Ivanhoe. I was very excited to read this book which extends her story.

This novel has so much to recommend it. There is the depiction of the historical period including the state of medicine. There is Rebecca and those around her. Then to ice the cake, there is a mystery. All of these make for a good read for historical fiction fans.

Many thanks to NetGalley and She Writes Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 02 August 2022