The Book of Splendor

by Frances Sherwood

"Written with Frances Sherwood's inimitable wit and earthy flair, The Book of Splendor is an unusual historical novel about the most unlikely of lovers, interwoven with the mysticism of the Jewish occult.". "It is 1601, in the old city of Prague under the reign of Hapsburg emperor Rudolph II. Rochel is young, illiterate, of dubious birth, a Jew who is not quite a Jew, an outsider among outsiders. Yet she has heard stories, not only of the ancient Hebrews' heroic deeds but also of the handsome prince who rescued the virtuous Aschenputtel, and of the mermaid who sold her voice for a pair of legs. Rochel's chance to escape poverty comes in an arranged marriage, but her heart belongs to another". "In his castle on the hill, in possession of every luxury known to man, Emperor Rudolph II is discontent. There is no end to what he wants. His mania will ignite the long-standing resentments of his foes within the city."--BOOK JACKET.