First published 2003
Rochel works her needle in the Jewish quarter of Prague, born a bastard but determined to escape poverty. Her arranged marriage to Zev the tailor offers security, yet her heart pulls toward an impossible love. Yossel walks among them, clay given breath by Rabbi Loew's mystical arts, created to shield their community from mounting persecution. As Rochel finds herself drawn to this creature of earth and prayer, Emperor Rudolph II grows mad with his pursuit of eternal life, threatening to destroy the city in his obsession. The Ottoman Empire presses at the borders while Protestant reforms shake the religious order. Violence stalks the Jewish streets as ancient hatreds flare. Rochel must choose between the safe marriage that promises survival and a love that defies the natural world. Her choice will determine not just her own fate but the future of everyone she holds dear.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, fantasy, jewish
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forbidden-love
Setting: Prague, Jewish Quarter, Ottoman Empire
Period: 16th Century
360 pages · Paperback · W. W. Norton & Company
Content warnings: violence