The Midwife of Venice

Set in the Jewish ghetto of 1575 Venice, Hannah Levi is a midwife renowned for her skill, including the use of her secret 'birthing spoons.' A Christian nobleman, Conte Paolo di Padovani, comes to her in the night, imploring her to save his dying wife and their unborn son. This request puts Hannah in immediate danger, as a Papal edict strictly forbids Jews from rendering medical treatment to Christians, a crime punishable by death. However, the nobleman's offer of a massive fee is enough to ransom Hannah’s beloved husband, Isaac, a merchant who was captured at sea and sold into slavery in Malta. Against the warnings of her Rabbi, Hannah agrees and successfully delivers the infant, Matteo. As she prepares to leave for Malta to rescue Isaac, she discovers that the baby's uncles are plotting to murder him to seize the family fortune. An outbreak of the plague traps Hannah in Venice, forcing her to outsmart the treacherous family to save Matteo and secure her voyage to Malta before Isaac, who has heard tales of the plague and believes her dead, can buy his own passage to a new life.

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