Donald Michael Platt

I could have loved this book a lot. Prophecies coming down from the Middle Ages. A girl who’s Nostradamus’s descendent. A damaged WWI veteran. Occult practices and secret societies. Secrets coming from the Orient and gargoyle statues becoming friends with mysterious cats. There is indeed a lot to love.
And still it didn’t click for me. I wonder whether this was because Michelle, the central character, was quite unsympathetic. Even being very young, she’s always in control. She cares for no one. And of course, she’s the most powerful seer who ever lived. Not much to connect with.

I actually liked her tutor and protector, Marco Dante, a lot more. This is a character who has suffered (the war disfigured his face) and who cares a lot for the people closer to him, including Michelle. I was a fan of him since the beginning, but unfortunately, in spite of Dante getting a lot of ‘screen time’, this is quite obviously not his story.

A fun read, but not much more.

… (altro)

The book starts out with Bodo as a young child of 6 but of course he thinks he is the man of the house as his father is away at war. He and his sister have had a privileged, quiet life but that will soon change. Due to the death of their father the children are sent into the care of their uncle and the course of Bodo’s life changes in ways he could never have imagined.

It is a time of great change in the world at large and within the Catholic Church. The church was a source of power and through it a man could rise far above his place in life. Many noble families gave younger sons to the church to keep fingers in the pot as it were. Bodo turned out to be this donation for his uncle’s family and he was forced into the priesthood. With no other family to gainsay the decision off he went at a very young age. He did end up a powerful man – he was confessor to Louis the Pious and so very close to the power in the land.

Bodo though found more comfort in the Jewish religion and converted to Judaism. This caused an uproar so huge that written records exist of the shock. You can only imagine that given how little has come down from the 9th century that this must have been truly shocking. Mr. Platt has taken what little written record there is and created a fascinating novel full of rich period detail. The conflicts going on during this period between ruling parties and the church ultimately led to a breakdown in society in general and brought on the Dark Ages. All of that angst is woven into the book through the telling of one monk’s story.

I started it on Sunday and really had a hard time putting it down and I was disappointed when I finished because I didn’t want it to end – as cruel a world as it was the writing was so good.… (altro)

House of Rocamora continues the saga started with Rocamora. Our hero has now embraced his Jewish ancestry, adopted the faith and moved to Amsterdam. At this time in history the Dutch Netherlands is very welcoming to Jews who are leaving Spain as a result of the waning years of the Inquisition. Rocamora is welcomed and he begins his life again; first by researching medical schools so he can get his degree, second by finding the final love of his life - Abigail. As soon as he completes his schooling they marry and he sets up his practice.
Their family grows and Rocamora is a very happy man.

Perhaps it is that contentment that leaves this book a bit flat when compared to the first. Rocamora's life in Amsterdam was relatively peaceful; a couple of bouts of plague and the unfortunately early death of his wife are the big drivers of plot. No big, sweeping historical moments. Not until the end when Charles II is restored and that is more his grandson's launch into history.

The book was still a good read. I like the character so following his life was of interest. He was a very proud man and he left a legacy to his surviving children. His story was worth reading for a glimpse into the life of an upper middle class doctor in the 17th century.… (altro)

This book is the sequel to Rocamora, a beefy historical novel following Isaac Vicente de Rocamora. Continuing the tale of real-life Dominican-priest-turned-Jewish-physician, Platt's book again delves deeply into 17th century life, this time focusing on Jewish communities in Amsterdam rather than the grim drama of the Spanish court.

I preferred this book to the first one, perhaps because of the more domestic focus. Vicente -- now Isaac -- is settling in his new home as a Jewish man, honoring his family's history in a way he couldn't while in Spain.

The reader follows Vicente through his education -- a bit of a crash course, as he's in his 40s and spent a good deal of his life absorbing Catholic doctrine -- and his courtship with the young, beautiful Abigail. A man who has run through a number of passionate, beautiful lovers, Isaac's focus on his family and his community is a refreshing change from the blood, guts, gore, and court intrigue found in Rocamora -- a shift seemingly so absurd I wouldn't believe it were it not based in fact!

As with his first book, Platt's meticulous research is clear and I found the historical details fascinating. Jewish culture and community in this era wasn't homogenized -- as with any broad denomination, there are various factions and levels of conservatism -- and Platt lightly touches upon the prejudices and tensions between these smaller groups.

Where Rocamora had plot so rich it dripped off the page, House of Rocamora is a quieter, slower novel, focused more on the man rather than the man's actions. I preferred this shift and enjoyed watching the man of action settle into life as a community leader, as a husband and father, and later, as a widower.

By the end of the novel, the story shifts to one of Isaac's children, and as with the first book, I found the ending could both be satisfying and a cliff-hanger, depending on your mood!

This edition has some lovely extras to help the reader: a map, a preface to set the mood and place, and information about the cost of living in the area -- helpful in evoking and imagining life there!… (altro)