By Alison Bass
REBECCA of IVANHOE
Twelfth-century England has become too dangerous for Jews, especially the beautiful Jewish healer, Rebecca Manasses, who has been rescued by Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe from being burned alive as a witch.
Rebecca and her father, Isaac, make the difficult decision to flee to Spain to settle in Toledo’s Jewish quarter. There Rebecca builds a thriving practice as a healer. Her reputation reaches the ears of Rachel Esra, known as La Fermosa, the Jewish mistress of Alfonso VIII, the King of Castile and Leon. Rebecca becomes Rachel’s healer and friend, and through Rachel, Rebecca meets a handsome Jewish trader who helps her and her family during anti-Jewish riots fomented by Church officials in Toledo.
This gripping sequel to Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe brings to life a fascinating chapter in medieval Spain through Rebecca’s journey to escape the growing persecution of Jews in England, and her efforts to save her family during a tumultuous time in Spain when the Moors and the Christians battled for control of the country.
Journalist, Professor, Author
Alison Bass
Alison Bass was a long-time medical and science writer for The Boston Globe. A series Bass wrote for the Globe on psychiatry was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in the Public Service category. Bass has received a number of other journalism awards for her work.
Bass is the author of two critically acclaimed nonfiction books, Getting Screwed, Sex Workers and the Law and Side Effects: A Prosecutor, a Whistleblower, and A Bestselling Antidepressant on Trial, which received the prestigious National Association of Science Writers’ Science in Society Award. The film rights for Side Effects were optioned in 2016.
Alison Bass
Latest Updates
Some more historical fiction worth reading
I promised I would add more historical fiction titles to my list of great reads this year, so here they are, in no particular order: Shanghai by Joseph Kanon. This page-turning novel focuses on a little-told story: Jews who escaped Nazi Germany and ended up in...
Conan O’Brien’s mother was an amazing role model — to me and many others
The parents of comedian Conan O'Brien's parents died last week within three days of each other, and there was some comment on Facebook about the fact they had been married for 66 years and that Conan's Dad, a physician, was a jester himself. But there was very little...
Rebecca of Ivanhoe featured in NASW’s Advance Copy
To my delight, the National Association of Science Writers featured Rebecca of Ivanhoe in its Advance Copy, a regular column in the NASW newsletter that highlights books written by members. I have been a long-time member of NASW, and I was surprised but gratified when...
Other Books
Brassy Broad
Getting Screwed
