My favorite historical novel of all time is undoubtedly The Beacon at Alexandria, by Gillian Bradshaw. It's unfortunately out of print, but you can pick a second hand copy up on Amazon fairly cheaply.
Here's the Library Journal summary:
When Charis learns that her father has betrothed her to the hated Roman governor Festinus, she enlists the aid of her brother and flees to Alexandria. There, disguised as a eunuch, she begins to study Hippocratic medicine under the tutelage of a patient Jewish physician. The young woman excels as a healer and her fame spreads. Political intrigues force her to frontier outposts of the Roman Empire where she practices as an army doctor. She succeeds in maintaining her disguise until she is captured and held prisoner by the Goths during their uprising against the Romans. Bradshaw has superbly re-created the political, social, and intellectual climate of the 4th century A.D. and the attitudes towards woman and medicine in this excellent work for most public libraries.
Charis is awesome. She runs around and has lots of adventures and a career and even a romance, though the guy who falls in love with her is very confused for a long time, as he thinks she's a guy for most of the book. Anyway, I highly recommend this book!
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Date: 2010-05-01 10:19 pm (UTC)Here's the Library Journal summary:
When Charis learns that her father has betrothed her to the hated Roman governor Festinus, she enlists the aid of her brother and flees to Alexandria. There, disguised as a eunuch, she begins to study Hippocratic medicine under the tutelage of a patient Jewish physician. The young woman excels as a healer and her fame spreads. Political intrigues force her to frontier outposts of the Roman Empire where she practices as an army doctor. She succeeds in maintaining her disguise until she is captured and held prisoner by the Goths during their uprising against the Romans. Bradshaw has superbly re-created the political, social, and intellectual climate of the 4th century A.D. and the attitudes towards woman and medicine in this excellent work for most public libraries.
Charis is awesome. She runs around and has lots of adventures and a career and even a romance, though the guy who falls in love with her is very confused for a long time, as he thinks she's a guy for most of the book. Anyway, I highly recommend this book!