By Alison Bass
REBECCA of IVANHOE
Twelfth-century England has become too dangerous for Jews, especially the beautiful Jewish healer, Rebecca Manasses, who has been rescued by Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe from being burned alive as a witch.
Rebecca and her father, Isaac, make the difficult decision to flee to Spain to settle in Toledo’s Jewish quarter. There Rebecca builds a thriving practice as a healer. Her reputation reaches the ears of Rachel Esra, known as La Fermosa, the Jewish mistress of Alfonso VIII, the King of Castile and Leon. Rebecca becomes Rachel’s healer and friend, and through Rachel, Rebecca meets a handsome Jewish trader who helps her and her family during anti-Jewish riots fomented by Church officials in Toledo.
This gripping sequel to Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe brings to life a fascinating chapter in medieval Spain through Rebecca’s journey to escape the growing persecution of Jews in England, and her efforts to save her family during a tumultuous time in Spain when the Moors and the Christians battled for control of the country.
Journalist, Professor, Author
Alison Bass
Alison Bass was a long-time medical and science writer for The Boston Globe. A series Bass wrote for the Globe on psychiatry was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in the Public Service category. Bass has received a number of other journalism awards for her work.
Bass is the author of two critically acclaimed nonfiction books, Getting Screwed, Sex Workers and the Law and Side Effects: A Prosecutor, a Whistleblower, and A Bestselling Antidepressant on Trial, which received the prestigious National Association of Science Writers’ Science in Society Award. The film rights for Side Effects were optioned in 2016.
Alison Bass
Latest Updates
Rebecca of Ivanhoe featured in JBC’s Spotlight this week
My novel, Rebecca of Ivanhoe, is featured in this week's Spotlight by the Jewish Book Council. As one reviewer wrote, "“Rebecca of Ivanhoe breathes new life into one of literature’s most intriguing secondary characters, transforming the beautiful Jewish healer into a...
Goodreads giveaway of Rebecca of Ivanhoe
We will be conducting a Goodreads giveaway of my novel, Rebecca of Ivanhoe, a sequel to Sir Walter Scott's classic tale, for two weeks starting Feb. 7. The novel tells the story of Rebecca, the beautiful Jewish healer after she is rescued by the knight Ivanhoe from...
How to avoid scammers — a cautionary tale from one author to others
My novel, Rebecca of Ivanhoe, has been out for little more than a year, and it has gotten garnered some great reviews, including from the Historical Novel Society and The Jerusalem Review. I've done talks at a well-attended Jewish book festival and several bookstores...
Other Books
Brassy Broad
Getting Screwed
