The Witch of Cologne

by Tobsha Learner

Overview

A powerful, sensual, exciting historical novel set in the late 17th century, The Witch of Cologne tells of the persecution of Ruth, a beautiful Jewish midwife, by a representative of the Spanish Inquisition. Ruth is defended by a handsome nobleman and cleric who risks all to protect the woman he has come to love.

A Time of Peril

The Inquisitor, Carlos Vicente Solitario, charges a young Jewish midwife, Ruth bas Elazar Saul, with heresy. Ruth may be the daughter of the city's chief rabbi, but this is no protection against the Inquisition's accusations.

A Quest for Justice

Detlef von Tennen, nobleman and canon, cousin to the Archbishop, suspects that something other than religion drives Solitario to persecute Ruth. Determined to ensure that justice is done, Detlef joins the investigation-and finds his passions fully aroused by Ruth's impressive intelligence and darkly exotic beauty.

Two Hearts' Desires

All her life, Ruth bas Elazar Saul has thirsted for knowledge, despite the price she paid by concealing her gender and being cast out of her father's house. Her faith sustained her through all, even the attentions of the Inquisition. Then, in the very heart of danger, God blessed her with the greatest love she had ever known.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780765314307
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/01/2005
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	480
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.06(d)

About the Author

Originally from London, where she trained to be a sculptor, Tobsha Learner has lived in America and Australia. The Witch of Cologne was a bestseller in Australia; Learner's short story collection, Quiver, is an international success. Learner has written for radio, television and film, the theater. Her plays have been performed at theater festivals in the US, Australia, and Scotland, and she has produced three short films. Learner has received many awards for her work.

Editorial Reviews

An historical romance that transcends its genre with meticulous attention to detail and wonderful visual sense.” —Vogue (Australia)

“A rich historical novel with a contemporary feel.” —Marie Claire (Australia)

“If you like juicy historical novels with richly-drawn Jewish characters living interesting lives, then this is a novel you must read. [The] characters, both Jewish and Christian, are surprising in their depth of personality and by their believability. The story is a real page turner. Ruth is noble and honest; a modern woman set in a far-off time.” —Australian Jewish News

“Like a tapestry, the setting is meticulously detailed [and] carefully woven. Learner has a rich historical palette to play with and uses it to create a plot that gains pace as it progresses. The novel will appeal to reader who delight in the worlds conjured in Anne Rice's dark historical romances. Like Rice, Learner writes with a leaning toward eroticism.” —Australian Bookseller & Publisher

From the Publisher

In a sensuous 17th-century saga set in German Catholic Cologne, Learner (Quiver) transports readers to a time when studying the ancient Kabbalah could prove deadly for a young Jewish midwife. Ruth bas Elazar Saul is the headstrong daughter of the chief rabbi of Deutz, Cologne's Jewish ghetto. She undertakes the forbidden course of mystical study, her Sephardic mother's legacy, before absconding to Amsterdam to escape an arranged marriage. There, Ruth acquires the contemporary midwifery skills she will combine with her sacred learning, and upon her return to Cologne she delivers wealthy burghers' babies using new lifesaving methods, earning a reputation for more than medical genius. Word of her skills travels quickly, and as the Spanish Inquisition stretches its tentacles to the Rhineland, Ruth is arrested for sorcery by the sadistic archbishop Carlos Vicente Solitario, whose persecution of her is fueled by a stymied youthful obsession with her mother. Ruth's keen intelligence and bravery in prison win her an ally, Canon Detlef von Tennen, who falls passionately in love with the "Jewess." The two marry, and Learner has readers rooting for the survival of their unlikely alliance. This steamy, riveting page-turner is also a paean to the triumph of a woman's spirit. (Aug.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Imagine that you have the medical knowledge and skill to save lives; now imagine a time and a place in which just having those skills is punishable by death. Such is 17th-century world in which Ruth bas Elazar Saul lives. Ruth, daughter of the chief rabbi of Deutz, is a beautiful, headstrong, and gifted midwife who uses both science and Kabala to help women during childbirth. Accused of practicing witchcraft by Catholic inquisitor Carlos Solitario, Ruth must face her accusers and defend her belief in science and faith. Bawdy, romantic, and filled with well-developed characters, Learner's first novel (previously, she wrote Quiver: A Book of Erotic Tales) is evocative of Geraldine Brooks (Year of Wonders) and Diana Gabaldon's sensual touch (Outlander). Fans of historical fiction involving religion, science, and romance will savor every page of this impossible-to-put-down book set in Cologne and Amsterdam. With a reading group guide; recommended for all public libraries.-Marika Zemke, West Bloomfield Twp. P.L., MI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

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