Question #7 June 22 - July 7: Chapters 13 - 16, Epilogue, Author's Note

Adelia falls in love with Rowley Picot but rejects his proposal because she fears it would mean the end of her work. Do you think she made the right decision? Given that Picot "wanted her as she was," could they have created an arrangement that would have allowed them to marry while still giving Adelia her freedom?

HE was never the problem! A Wife couldn't do what Adelia does without drawing unwelcome and possibly fatal attention from the ghastly, vengeful, evil-doing Catholic Church and its vile minions.

At that time in history, no I do not think she could have married Picot and continued her "line of work." It would have been unseemly for a wife, particularly the wife of a person of rank in society, to be anything but a wife and mother.

Actually, I think that she made the wrong decision. First, IMHO, you never throw away love. But also I think that Rowley really would have helped her continue to "work". In those days, it may have been easier for her to do "her work" as a married woman rather than being single. In most villages or castles (if Rowley Picot had been given land as part of his reward from the King) the women were considered the healers - the ones who dried herbs (which Adelia does now), administered to the sick, and patched up the wounded. Granted, she wouldn't be playing pathologist but, at least she would be healing.

I'm conflicted over this entire romance aspect of the novel.

I understand that at this time a wife was expected to be a wife and only a wife, but Adelia is already a gender-role contradiction. Her career as a doctor had to be hidden, despite the fact that it is perfectly fine in Salerno. So, whether married or not, Adelia is still doing something that was viewed as wrong in Medieval England. I don't think that being married would have lowered others' opinions of her, but then, I don't think that society's view of female doctors is really why Adelia decides to remain single.

Instead, I think that her total devotion to medicine made marriage, in her mind, impossible. Adelia is very single-minded, and so to her, being a doctor and being a wife would have meant splitting her time between two different occupations. Since Adelia tends to jump into things whole-heartedly, she might see marriage as holding her back. I don't think she means that Rowley will stop her from practicing medicine, just that she is the type of soul who cannot divide her time between two things. When she loves, she loves totally. Marrying Rowley would mean giving him some of the attention and focus that previously went to her work. We saw how important medicine is to Adelia, and given the success of her skills, and the peace that she helped to restore, her pride in medicine can only have grown.

I guess I can understand Adelia's devotion to medicine, but I also think that it is a bit of an excuse. We saw how reluctant Adelia is to trust people, and I think marriage may scare her. I don't want to say that she was hiding behind her work, but I do think that it was a convenient excuse. In the end, I think I would have been more satisfied with the novel if the entire relationship with Rowley had not occurred. But then again, if it hadn't, we would not be having this great discussion!

>5 Cait86: Cait86, your nuanced explanation of the whys and wherefores of Adelia's decision has the solid "thunk" of wisdom and truth.

Side note: Before the end of my last relationship, Mr. Man was suggesting to me that we adopt a baby *pause for 50-year-old grandfather to have fantods* and name her "Brunonia," after authoress Brunonia Barry of The Lace Reader fame. Had I done this perfectly insane thing *fantods*, I think I would now want to have a second girl and name her "Vesuvia."

"These are my daughters, Kristin, Brunonia, and Vesuvia. Kristin's the one holding her sisters and her own kids."

#6 - Thank you very much Richard - what a lovely compliment!

And I am very glad that you did not name a daughter Brunonia... or Vesuvia :)

I guess I too, like Cheli (#4) am a hopeless romantic. I think if she had let him, Adelia would have found Rowley to be a big help in slowly turning around the attitudes of whatever society they settled in. I remember joining the Navy WAY BACK WHEN there were still many areas of the military not open to women. Those of us who chose to embark in that distinctly unfeminine world simply went about doing what we could do, when we were allowed to do it, and eventually barriers were broken down.

Having a male champion (and I'm not speaking in the chivalric knightly Lancelot scenario) would have helped her to be able to function how she really wanted to. It will be interesting in the next book in the series to see whether she is allowed to continue, and if so, what barriers she encounters and is able to overcome.

I also wonder if she is planning to stay in England? If she really wants to forsake love and concentrate on medicine, then why isn't she returning to Salerno where she knows she'll be accepted?

First off, in response to tutu's question of staying in England, the King is pretty much making her stay. He told her she try to leave and he couldn't stop her, but he sure as hell could close all ports and transportation to her, and he would. Her agreeing to stay was an accepting of her new position and I think the King was also trying to throw another reward to Rowley by convicing the woman he loved to stay nearby.

I agree with Cait86's assessment of Adelia's single-minded determination and reluctance to split her focues in life. I also think she would have had a very difficult time practicing her medicine if she married into upper level society. Could she have stayed a healer/herb woman? Most likely. Could she have performed surgeries and autopsied the dead? Highly unlikely. What noblewoman would send her sick or injured husband to another noblewoman (who is probably resented for not being born into the rank), only to have her possibly perform procedures on body parts such as she did in the opening pages? I do believe Rowley would have supported and encouraged her, but the English system of beliefs would have held her back.

I set up a "final thougts" thread for those of us who want to give full reviews of the book:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/68153

I, like several of you on this post, am a hopeless romantic. I wished Adelia would've agreed to marry Picot! I think he would've allowed here to continue as she was, helping the sick and listening to the dead.

question? Doesn't the King want her help with murders? If the King was ordering her wouldn't she continue her work even if Picot had wanted her to be just a wife?

Picot will be near here no matter the capacity of husband of lover, and I think he will fight for her when ever a battle presents itself.

Did I miss something? I know Vintage_books has been 'under the weather' and I notice the venerable richard sorta 'assuming the mantle'. Is our original great leader out of the loop for awhile? I hope she's OK.

no Romantic me...hopeless or otherwise. this was the only part of the book that "dragged"..i wanted to kick Adelia in her sweet posterior and tell her to get on with the story..time to dither over Rowly later. Jeesh!

I agree with Veta, above (#11), I was surprised that she turned him down. I don't agree that she could not continue her practice of medicine since the King supported it.
--BJ