num_pages: 288
description: Santina Pietra is seventeen and in medieval San Gimignano daughters of merchants are expected to marry. But Santina cares only for Calandrino a brilliant young scholar who is preoccupied with his ancient alchemical texts. Soon Santina meets Trotula the village midwife who might or might not be a strega or witch. Trotula challenges her to forget Calandrino and become the woman she is meant to be. Some say she is a victim of the midwifes spell but Santina is determined to follow in Trotulas footsteps even as calamities strike.The setting is 14th century Italy yet in Santina contemporary readers will discover a strong-minded young woman whose search for meaning echoes their own. Alchemys Daughter is the authors second novel.
language: English
title: Alchemy's Daughter
publisher: Lake Street Press