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 NASW volunteer book editoran Lynne Lamberg said she would feature my novel in the column. As Lynne wrote:
In her novel, Rebecca of Ivanhoe, Alison Bass imagines the life of Rebecca, a 12th-century healer saved from being burned alive as a witch, after she flees from England to Spain and then to Egypt. Bass describes botanical remedies and other therapies used in medieval medical practice. She incorporates historical characters, wars, and other events occurring in the background of daily life.
In the Advance Copy column, I write about how I came up with the idea for the novel and researched the history of 12th century Spain and Egypt. I also discuss how I researched healing practices common in late medieval Europe.
Thanks, Lynne, for this very nice mention!
