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The Widow of Jerusalem
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Plot Summary of The Widow of Jerusalem
"

St. Martin's, March 2003, 23.95, 288 pp.
ISBN 0312300891

The Fool's Guild turns out jesters and troubadours and sends them out in the world to entertain the various classes. They are also brilliant intelligence gathers who work behind the scenes to try and maintain the peace and when that is impossible influence the nobles into situations that will settle hostilities. Theophilus, a very good Fool, is sent by the Guild to Acre in the year 1191 to help his colleague Scarlet the Dwarf end the Third Crusade and bring peace to the region.

The two Fools divert supplies meant for Richard the Lionhearted sending them to the city of Tyre whose leaders are allowing the refugees displaced by the war to live in a tent city outside the walls. The Queen of Jerusalem Isabelle and her husband Conrad, the Marquis of Montferrat supply them with food whenever they can. Scarlet who is devoted to his queen urges her to marry Champagne when her husband is murdered. When the crusaders return home Theophilus goes with them but he has to return years later and to finally figure who was behind the conspiracy that led to Conrad's death.

Readers will be amazed by what the Fools can accomplish as spies working behind the scene to maneuver political events. Theophilus is a fascinating character who operates on different levels with different people. His skills as an entertainer enable him to spy on the nobles when they are plotting something because they underestimate the intelligence of a Fool.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of The Widow of Jerusalem
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 30%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story: - middle ages
Spying/Terrorism Thriller Yes
Cloak & Dagger Plotlets: - power struggle within govt between two factions - main char. spying/sabotage - preventing war
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Gender - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - a little
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - power
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Asia/Pacific Yes
Asian country: - Israel

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 2
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
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