The Stone Witch of Florence and Vegetable Soup

It’s 1348 and the plague is rushing through Italy like a silent serpent poisoning everyone in its wake.  On top of that there is a thief that is breaking into churches and stealing valuable relics for unknown reasons.  At their wits end and with nowhere else to turn, the Church reaches out to the exiled Ginerva di Genoa, “The Stone Witch of Florence,” who has powers unlike anything they can comprehend.  She agrees to help only if they agree to her terms.  But can she really stop this plague and the thief, on her own?  Let’s find out.

This title ROCKS!

The Story

The story centers around an intelligent, strong-willed woman named Ginerva di Genoa who uses the magic of stones to heal others.  She has always had a gift of knowing how a person is feeling and what they need but it was her childhood teacher that taught her how to cure their ailments with various gems.  Shortly after finding work in a nunnery and learning more about her art, Ginerva’s gifts are soon discovered by the outside world.

This turns out not to be a good thing.  After preforming what should be considered a miracle since the visiting “doctor” had failed, Ginerva stepped in and saved the day.  However, she is dubbed a “witch” and instead of being killed is exiled from Florence.  A decade later, with a raging pandemic hitting the city hard, the men who banished her want her back but not in the capacity she thinks.

They want her to find a thief that will stop at nothing to break into several churches and steal some holy treasures.  Despite this not being what she had thought, she agrees to investigate on the condition that she is no longer banished, nor is she considered a witch and invited to be apart of the prestigious doctor’s guild.  As this deal is made, Ginerva looks into these strange break ins but as she gets more into this inspection, she realizes that there is more than meets the eye.  Can she thwart these heinous crimes and save everyone?  Or will it all be a double bluff and she loses everything? 

Only Anne Rasche’s book can tell you this.     

My Review

Girl power at its finest.  And no, I am not talking about the magic of her stones which it too is cool.  Ginerva has had a lot of strife her whole life because of what she can do but she does not give up.  She uses the hand she is dealt and makes it all work for her even though it is not easy.  You can not help but look up to a woman who knows how to get to the heart of problems and solve them with grace. 

Nor is she alone, she makes a friend in the naive but kind-hearted widow that she rescues from the plague named Lucia.  She does everything she can to help and support Ginerva in her quest to get rid of the plague and find this thief even though it does tend to be clumsy at best.  The characters of this book are believable due to the time period it is set and you can not help but cheer them on as they press on in some impossible times.

The storyline is linear, and it makes sense.  The author does not use a lot of crazy long words that you have to look up in the dictionary but gives good descriptions on what is happening.  Whether it is a thought or how someone is feeling you get it immediately.  The only thing I feel was missing is the magic of the stones.  Rasche never really tells us why the stones do certain things or how it really works.  I would have liked to have known a little bit more about that. 

The theme of Italy during the times of the plague is truly excellent.  Since it is such a mystery, even to the historians themselves it is fantastic to have a window (even if it is fictional) into what it was like to live and experience (despite the death) what the culture was like.  All and all, this book was marvelous.  It is a good supernatural but realistic mystery to ponder and enjoy. 

So yummy, healthy, and perfect for this book!

The Pairings

Since we are dealing with Italy and illness, the best pairing to go with this book is a bowl of hearty vegetable soup, garlic bread, and a glass of Fontella Chianti DOCG organic wine.  The reason for this vegetable soup is because for lots of people back in 1348, soup was the only readily available food to be had by all the people especially when they are sick. 

The garlic bread is self-explanatory but please humour me.  Not only is it delicious but garlic is thought to ward off illnesses and evil spirits even in Italy where this kind of knowledge would be considered witchcraft.  Lastly, we have this special kind of wine called chianti which is prominent in this country. 

Not only is it tasty with rich flavours of tart cherries, flavourful spices, and some acidic citrus but also organic which let’s face it, back in historical times everything was organic.  Plus, it is healthy too.  When you read this book, you will see that chianti is featured a lot and thank goodness because this makes it easy to find. 

Keeping it healthy

The Rating/Final Thoughts

8/10

Great book for those who love history and mystery.  If you ever wonder what it was like to be a doctor in centuries past (or something harder still; a female doctor) this is the book for you.  The characters were spot on, and the story kept you intrigued until the end.  I just wish that the author focused on the magic of the stones a little more or gave us a better description of what they did.  Otherwise, this book is perfect for anyone who has goals or dreams of making a huge difference whether it is with their intelligence or the gifts they are given.