by Alison Bass | Dec 30, 2024 | Uncategorized
Like many Jews, I had heard of Maimonides, the 12th century Jewish philosopher and physician who was one of the most prolific scholars of the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible). But it wasn’t until I visited Spain in 2010 and found a small statute...
by Alison Bass | Dec 18, 2024 | Uncategorized
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...
by Alison Bass | Dec 15, 2024 | Uncategorized
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...
by Alison Bass | Dec 4, 2024 | Uncategorized
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...
by Alison Bass | Nov 19, 2024 | Uncategorized
Today is the day my novel, Rebecca of Ivanhoe, is being published, and it is also the day that the Forward, the nation’s largest Jewish newspaper, published my essay on whether real-life philanthropist and educator Rebecca Gratz was the inspiration for Rebecca...
by Alison Bass | Nov 7, 2024 | Uncategorized
Michelle LaFrance, who writes the Literary Hill column, for the Hill Rag, a Capitol Hill, DC magazine, gave Rebecca of Ivanhoe, a nice write-up in the November issue of the Hill Rag. The review is on page nine. Here are some snippets: “For anyone who has...
by Alison Bass | Oct 28, 2024 | Uncategorized
Please forgive me for tooting my own horn, but the first review of my novel, Rebecca of Ivanhoe, is about to hit the newstands, and it couldn’t be more complimentary! Here are some snippets from the review in The Jerusalem Report. “Fans of Sir Walter Scott’s...
by Alison Bass | Oct 15, 2024 | Uncategorized
In Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe, Rebecca is portrayed as an almost magical healer who has special ointments that can rid the body of infection and cure all kinds of ailments. When Ivanhoe, just back from the Crusades and disguised as a Spanish knight, is badly...
by Alison Bass | Sep 24, 2024 | Uncategorized
Near the end of his classic tale, Ivanhoe, Sir Walter Scott mentions that Rebecca, the healer rescued by Ivanhoe, and her father are fleeing to Spain. Even though Ivanhoe saved Rebecca from being burned alive as a witch, she no longer feels safe in England. So she and...
by Alison Bass | Sep 10, 2024 | Uncategorized
When I started writing Rebecca of Ivanhoe, I had no idea where Sir Walter Scott got the inspiration for the character of Rebecca, the beautiful and spirited Jewish healer who is rescued from a hideous death by the knight Ivanhoe in Scott’s 1819 novel. It...
