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| Plot Summary of A Poultice For A Healer |
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Berkley, Nov 2003, 22.95, 320 pp.
ISBN 0425191923
In 1354 medieval Spain, Bishop Berengeur de Cruilles trusts Isaac the blind Jewish physician so when he falls ill, he summons the man to care for him. Isaac's daughter Rachel, as his assistant also comes to help. An herbalist arrives, desperate to see the bishop to give him a warning but the poison in his bloodstream kills him before he can tell his excellency about the threat.
In Girona, two young men each claims that they are heir to a large inheritance. One of them Jacob disappears during a pirate attack. The other claimant Luca an herbalist attempts to set up a practice. When two of his patients are murdered by poison that he had a messenger deliver, the townsfolk's want him tried and executed. Isaac implores the Bishop to wait before convening the court because he believes it was not Luca who delivered the poison. He also believes that these events are somehow related to the dead herbalist who tried to warn the bishop. In his own intuitive yet practical way Isaac tries to expose the guilty party.
Medieval Spain comes vividly to life in the reader's mind after reading A POULTICE FOR A HEAVEN. It feels as if the author is chronicling events that she witnessed. The characters are well developed and it is fascinating to see the relationship between Christians and Jews during a period of religious strife. The people of Girona peacefully coexist with only minor troubles breaking out between the two religions. The protagonist might be blind but he sees more clearly than most people. Fans of historical fiction centered on a good mystery will want to read this novel.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of A Poultice For A Healer |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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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 - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story:
- middle ages
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 70%
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- life in that culture
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- doctor
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- Religious Jew
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
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- doctor
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- Spain
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 3-4
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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