...trials and tribulations in Charlemagne's times!
The Scribe by Antonio Garrido, translated by Simon Bruni Having been taught to read and write by her father, all Theresa wants to do is be a scribe and parchment maker. Theresa is battling with the prejudice of a woman's place in society. Given that this tale takes place in medieval Würzburg of 799, at a time when women's roles were even more proscribed, we can hardly be surprised by the attitudes of those around her. Garrido's writing is vivid and brings home the sights, sounds and smells of the time, and the hardships of Theresa's occupation. (Thank you also translator Bruni) At this time the surrounding country is besieged by famine. Denizens of Würzburg are in desperate straits. A talented parchment maker and scribe Theresa is treated to all sorts of indignities by her fellow workers and especially the master parchment maker, the despicable Korne. When Theresa had to go into the deepest maceration pool to find her cow skin for her parchment mak...