The Stone Witch of Florence
In the summer of 1348, the Black Plague is sweeping Italy. An unexpected messenger shows up at Ginevra’s door in Genoa with a message summoning her to Florence – the place from where she was exiled seven years before. Back to 1320, we learn about Ginevra’s special connection to the ancient wisdom inaccessible to others and her healing abilities through stones. Agnesa, the local healer, has taken the young girl in as apprentice, but strictly forbids her to use magic, instead to use herbs, patience, and time for healing. But Ginevra can’t hide her talents, so her punishment is facial disfigurement and exile.
Now back in Florence, the bishop needs her help to catch the thief who is stealing relics and leaving small bottles of holy water in their place. In return, the bishop promises his influence to facilitate Ginevra’s acceptance into the Florentine Guild of Doctors – forbidden to women. Why Ginevra is the only one for the job is unclear. Without the protection of the relics, people are dying in unprecedented numbers. At a loss as to where to begin and no place to stay, Ginevra follows a herd of scraggy goats who have adopted a goose as their leader to the palatial home of Lucia, dying of Plague and abandoned by her husband. Ginevra uses her bloodstones to heal Lucia, and they become friends. The kind-hearted Ginevra is trying to save the dying she meets, as she and Lucia run into an assortment of rogues and scoundrels while tracking down the thief in a city of decaying bodies – all while making use of the gemstones.
Using her interest in medieval lapidaries, “books about the magical and medicinal powers of gems,” the author, a gemologist, combines medieval religion, medicine, and gemstone magic to create this adventurous romp peppered with humor, action, and intrigue. Perfect for lovers of a witchy fantasy.
