In The Mandrake Broom, her third novel, author Jess Wells depicts the life of an extraordinary woman who tried to keep medical knowledge alive during a time when skill at midwifery or even possession of certain herbs could mean a death sentence.
Luccia Alimenti is the daughter of a female medical professor at the University of Salerno, Italy, the last medical school to close its doors to women under pressure from the Inquisition. As a child, Luccia trained as an herbalist and a scribe, the latter so that she could copy the medical treatises of Dame Trotula, an early master of the university. She was also trained in geography and stealth by Fiona, an Irish herbalist. This prepared her for a life wandering throughout Europe, carrying copies of Trotula’s work to other herbalists and female physicians.
Wells has invested considerable research into the history and the herbal lore, and for the most part, she cleaves close to the historical record. The story spans the years 1465-1540, and one of the difficulties Wells faced was the need to stretch Luccia’s fictitious lifespan so that she could anchor it to real-world events and characters. Luccia’s story begins in the University of Salerno and reaches its zenith with her time as lover, partner, and mentor to Theo Paracelsus, who is considered the father of modern chemistry. Wells resolves this issue with the help of an herbal potion of unknown composition decocted by Luccia’s mother. This potion maintains Luccia’s youth for decades and also helps keep Fiona’s epilepsy under control. This, the only mystic element in the story, feels out of place. It is also far too convenient; once Luccia and Paracelsus are no longer lovers, she ages rapidly. Her sharply chiseled face becomes the inspiration for Dulle Griet (Mad Meg), a painting by Fleming artist Peter Bruegel the Elder. This work, which is full of alchemical symbols, was painted in 1562, and depicts a peasant woman rallying other women to march into hell.
One of the difficulties in writing historical fiction that spans many years is finding a balance between storytelling and summary. At only 240 pages, The Mandrake Broom relies heavily on quick summaries, and the author tends to leap from one point of view to another. Fans of Jean Plaidy’s historical fiction are likely to approve the scope and pace, but readers who prefer the storytelling style of Phillippa Gregory may feel that events rush past too quickly.
The author’s themes—in particular, the power of books to influence history—are interesting and well worth contemplation. While Luccia struggled to copy and disseminate Trotula’s work, copies of the Malleus Maleficarum (The Hammer of Witches)—the infamous witch-hunting manual by Jakob Sprenger and Heinrich Kramer—were being churned out on the new Gutenberg press.
Causes Jess Wells Supports
Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International, Friends of the Urban Forest, The Heifer Project, Forests Forever, NRDC