Destination: 16th Century Venice, Malta
Book: The Midwife of Venice, NEW April 2012 by Roberta Rich

There is a corner of Venice, away from the bustle and hustlers of the Rialto and San Marcos that seems too austere to be part of the self-consciously gilded and carved and painted face of the city. While the decaying charm of the palazzi along the grand canal charms most visitors, the quiet mystery of the Jewish Ghetto stoked Roberta Rich‘s imagination. That area roused my curiosity, too, but not being a novelist, I took some pictures and moved on. Rich pondered the life of the Jews who lived a restrictive life in the Ghetto while the merchant classes prospered and lived sparkling lives, sure of their place in the greatest city on earth. Her ponderings led to this novel that evokes a lesser known life in a certain time in a place that you thought you knew. Continue reading Life and Death in the Venice Ghetto