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| Plot Summary of The Beacon at Alexandria |
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"In the declining years of the Roman Empire, Charis, the independent and intelligent daughter of a rich official, yearns to become a doctor, but is prevented from doing so by her gender. Masquerading as a eunuch, she flees her home in Ephesus for Alexandria, the world's center of learning, where she apprentices to a Jewish doctor and learns to love her art. Eventually, however, she is drawn into the dangerous politics of the early Christian church; intrigue sweeps her to a Roman outpost in the wilderness of Thrace, where she finds her true destiny."
Christine Hung, Resident Scholar
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"The Beacon at Alexandria is placed in the 293a.d. Roman Empire, and tells the story of Charis, an amazing young woman who dresses as a eunuch and travels to Alexandria to study her medicine; something she couldn't do if she was not dressed up as a man. Charis, who changes her name to Chariton, apprentices to a Jewish doctor in Alexandria, and learns the art well. After several years of studying, she is forced to leave Alexandria because of religious/political troubles that involve her. She is offered a job working in a military hospital in Thrace, and it is there that her life takes a surprising turn as she comes up against other troubles, and in the end, finds herself at last. "
, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Beacon at Alexandria |
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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
Tone of book?
- upbeat
Time/era of story
- distant past/middle ages
Romance/Romance Problems
Yes
Kind of romance:
- GENERAL--no other subplots apply
Political/social activism
Yes
Plotlet:
- general liberal/left wing activism
- women fighting for rights
- religious issues
Life of a profession:
- doctor
Other aspects:
- story of "the rich"
Family, struggle with
Yes
Struggle with:
- Father (or standin)
- Brother
Culture clash?
- visiting a culture in other country
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Job/Profession/Status story
Yes
Ethnic/regional/gender life
Yes
Woman's story?
Yes
Lover is
- of a different social class
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- doctor
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- none
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- almost none
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 7 (a good amount)
Europe
Yes
European country:
- Greece
- Turkey
- Eastern Europe
Africa
Yes
Kind of Africa:
- Arabic Africa
Mountains/Cliffs
Yes
City?
Yes
City:
- dirty, grimy (like New York)
Misc setting
- fort/military installation
Style
Person
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
- descript of kissing
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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