Description: "1348. As the Black Plague ravages Italy, Ginevra di Gasparo is summoned to Florence after nearly a decade of lonely exile. Ginevra has a gift--harnessing the hidden powers of gemstones, she can heal the sick. But when word spread of her unusual abilities, she was condemned as a witch and banished. Now the same men who expelled Ginevra are begging for her return. Ginevra obliges, assuming the city's leaders are finally ready to accept her unorthodox cures amid a pandemic. But upon arrival, she is tasked with a much different mission: she must use her collection of jewels to track down a ruthless thief who is ransacking Florence's churches for priceless relics--the city's only hope for protection"--
Brief description: Anna Rasche is a historian and gemologist who has previously worked in the jewelry collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and as a curatorial fellow at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Rasche's debut is based on original research she conducted on the uses of gemstones in medieval medicine at the Cooper Hewitt Museum and on site in Italy. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and infant daughter.
Review Quotes: "A twisty, historical witchy escape." --Entertainment Weekly
"An interesting look at the intersection of folk magic, medicine and religion in the 14th century." -The Washington Post "Impeccably researched with vibrant prose, The Stone Witch of Florence is magnificent. Fans of Katy Hays's The Cloisters will be in awe of this breathtaking debut." --Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary "Magical in every sense of the word, Rasche's debut stole my heart. A feast of a novel, The Stone Witch of Florence is erudite, transportive, and addicting. It's that precious and rare type of story--the kind that makes you want to fly through its pages while simultaneously savoring every word. Bottom line: The Stone Witch of Florence is a gem." --Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters "The Stone Witch of Florence sparkles with suspense and the magical power of women. An engaging and entrancing debut." --Laurie Lico Albanese, author of Hester