Customer Reviews

The Sempster's Tale (Sister Frevisse Medieval Mysteries)

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First a note to people who have come across this book and aren't familiar with the series: you will need to read others in the series first in order to get the most out of this book; much of what Frevisse is doing is in particular dependent on the previous volume. While the general plot and the curiosity of having Jews in England will still be interesting even if you are unfamiliar with the series, you will enjoy far more about Dame Frevisse's thoughts if you know more of the background. So while you are ordering this book, go ahead and order the previous one in the series "The Widow's Tale," and a couple of others; if you can't get the whole series right now, then for choice, I'd suggest "The Bishop's Tale" and "The Maiden's Tale" (the latter is set in London and in the family of Frevisse's cousin Alice, and sets up a lot of the necessary information for enjoying "The Widow's Tale").

The editorial reviews and other reviewers have outlined the plot, so I won't repeat that; let me instead mention a few things I enjoyed in particular about this book, that made it more than just an OK continuation of a series.

First, the Author's Note at the end of the book, which explains such details as why this is "The Sempster's Tale" rather than "The Seamstress's Tale." Other bits of information about the state of the English language at the time are also included. The period of time in the mid-15th century was seeing the Middle English of Chaucer (Dame Frevisse's great-uncle) slowly but surely change into the Early Modern English that would become Shakespeare, and I enjoy knowing some of the details of the evolution of words.

Then, there's the way that during the story, we learn about the differences between friars and monks - something that in our own time, we think of as being the same thing; in fact, they weren't. We also learn more about a priest's duties, and the curious fact, from our modern point of view, that priests are in some ways considered inferior to friars. The Inquisition is being powered by friars and monks more than by priests. In our own time, we thing of the various orders of priests such as Jesuits as being the religious who are really learned and sharp, so it is something of a shock to find that in Frevisse's era, the friars were the really learned ones, and priests who just stayed in one place to celebrate Masses for lay people were far less powerful or respected.

We also find out some details about Frevisse's childhood, that help us understand her strength of mind and her adaptability to travel, more than most women in a convent.

For many history buffs, the larger action of the rebels in London will be the most interesting part; for me, that was just background, and I think that other than providing a reason for people to be either holed up in their houses or leaving London, the fighting and the reasons for the rebellion are just background, not as interesting as the many details of daily life that we get, as we do in every novel in this series. From how servants are treated to how money is exchanged internationally, I continue to be fascinated by the working lives of every character in these books. The introduction of new characters - particularly, in this volume, secret Jews and various different levels of converts from Judaism to Christianity - is one of the things I look forward to in each volume. Even the rather repellent characters, such as Brother Michael the friar, are interesting and have information about them that I enjoy learning.

It is always a pleasure for me to pick up Margaret Frazer's latest Dame Fervisse mystery novels. Set in mid-fifteenth century England, the books have proven to be well and carefully crafted mysteries, brimming with wonderful historical detail -- I especially enjoy all those details about the lives that the nuns at St. Frideswide lead. "The Sempster's Tale" is the latest installment in this series and it does live up to expectations. In this particular installment, we discover that Dame Fervisse has left the peaceful and serene confines of St. Frideswide for the bustling city of London. And on a more personal note, I was also disappointed that one of my favourite characters, Sister Thomasine, didn't make an appearance in "The Sempster's Tale."

It is the summer of 1450, and England seems to be completely fed up with it's ineffectual King (Henry VI) and the greedy and power-hungry noblemen he surrounds himself with. It is ground ripe for a rebellion against the King, and commoner William Cade is quick to use this discontent to mount a popular uprising and to make for London. And the burning question that Londoners now face is whether or not they should open the city gates to Cade and his men now that the King and his favourites have abandoned them to their own fate. Caught up in all this turmoil is Dame Fervisse, who has left her peaceful convent in Oxfordshire in order to do her cousin, the Duchess of Suffolk, a favour: to arrange the funeral vestments for her murdered husband, and more secretly, to convey a sum of gold that the Duke had sent out of London back to her. And while Dame Fervisse is quite incensed that her cousin has involved her in this underhanded affair, she nonetheless agrees to help the Duchess out. The last thing that she expected though was to be left stranded in a city anxiously facing a rebellious mob, or to be caught up in yet another murder investigation -- and one that would make her question some of her religious beliefs...

I enjoy reading historical mysteries very much, and Margaret Frazer's Dame Fervisse mystery series is defintiely one of my favourites. This was not always the case; but over the years, I have become a fan of the series and have come to appreciate the author's clever and insightful plots, her well realised and careful character portrayals and brilliant manner in which she brings the period to life with all that wonderful historical detail. And once again the author captured my attention and beguiled with this wonderfully poignant mystery novel that revolved around ambition, greed, a forbidden romance and murder. Some may be a little put off at some of the modern sensibilities that Dame Fervisse and a few other characters display; I however thought that it was well done. The only complaint I had, and this is a small one, is that because the book was so full of what was happening in London that summer of 1450, the mystery who committed the two murder and why, became a bit of an afterthought and was only really solved because of an offhand remark that one of the character's makes in Dame Fervisse's hearing. On the whole, though, "The Sempster's Tale" made for wonderfully engrossing reading, and is well worth the expensive hardcover price.

I've been disappointed in the past couple of Margaret Frazer's Dame Frevisse novels, as they felt almost like the author was tired of her character. Not this one, though! I meant to sit down this afternoon and read for about 30 minutes; I ended up by reading all afternoon and finishing the book because I couldn't put it down! Frazer's back to her old form with an excellent, well-told story and a fascinating depiction of life in medievel London. I can't wait for the next one!

From the author -- I remember all too well when I was far too arrogant in my ignorance, and therefore trust that Mae will some day outgrow her belief that a general survey book (about food or anything else)provides sufficient knowledge on which to base criticism. I'm afraid that her comments on my research show her own lack of in-depth research, rather than mine. The situation for Jews in late medieval Europe was in flux, not yet solidified into the ghettos of Eastern Europe. What became true about Jewish life in later centuries was not necessarily true in the 1400s. The Sempster's Tale reflects the complex realities and attitudes of the time, and I consulted with a Jewish scholar about them. Among other things, the debate between Brother Michael and Daved is taken directly from contemporary arguments, not modern attitudes. As for challah, it's history is far older than the late 15th century, whatever a general survey of food may say.

Margaret Frazer's The Sempster's Tale is a work showing the continuing creative power of the author. I have read some earlier works, and this seems to me to be the best yet of those that I have read.

For one thing, the historical context gives a ring of reality to the work. I remember when the author--so many years ago--showed me a notebook with day by day events of the period in England. This historical verisimilitude produces an atmosphere in these Dame Frevisse novels that "rings true." The author's homework has richly paid off. I think that this in itself sets the Dame Frevisse series apart from other works.

This book focuses on events in the 15th century. The King, not a very effectual figure, has fled the city of London as William Cade and his commoners try to assert themselves. In this turbulent situation, Dame Frevisse must get "vestments"--and gold--for her cousin, Lady Alice, whose husband has recently died. The seamstress (or sempster, as the term was used at the time), Anne, was engaged in an affair with a Jewish merchant, Daved, when Jews had been expelled from England. She works with Dame Frevisse to carry out the mission. Two murders ensue, the first suggesting that Jews were the perpetrators. The second implicates Daved. Dame Frevisse, with the assistance of Daved, works the mystery through to determine who was guilty.

All in all, the novel is very much worth reading. The atmosphere has a ring of reality; the characters are well drawn; the pace moves along nicely. For those interested in this period of English history, the book provides a sense of the era. That itself is reason enough to read this volume. Add to this the characters and the plot and these render the novel even more estimable.

The Dame Frevisse mystery series has been excellent as a whole, and this is one of its more engrossing books. However, it is a bit different from most of the series. As other reviews have noted, it's the characters and the historical background of London in 1450 that are center stage while the mystery is less so than in most of Frazer's stories. This does not make the book any less good or entertaining, it just means that it straddles the line between mystery and historical novel a bit more than her other books.

As for the historical acuracy, Frazer has proven herself to be very good at giving us glimpses into the world of 15th century England. She does so again, in general, but does have a few points that could be questioned in her address of the Jewish theme of the book. Another reviewer has already noted the possibility of error on Frazer's use of "Challah" to describe the sabbath bread and the shape used, and I do not profess to be a scholar of Jewish food, so I will not comment on the accuracy of this one, although I was disturbed that Frazer responded so negatively without citing her sources. At least the review did so, even if he or she was incorrect. However, I AM a scholar of medieval Iberia and I was disturbed by one small fact that Frazer used in giving the background of Brother Michael at the beginning of Chapter 11. She has the character say that he was born in "Antwerp. Where my parents went after being forced from Portugal." Frazer also goes on to have him discuss conversos, those Jews who converted to Christianity, being sought by the Inquisition in Spain. First of all, Jews were not expelled from Spain until 1492 and from Portugal until 1497, more than 40 years after the story takes place, and probably a great deal more after the character's parents would have left Portugal. It is true that Jews faced anti-semitism in medieval Iberia (Jews in Portugal did have to wear special garments and obey a curfew in the first few decades of the 15th century) but during the early 15th century it was not necessarily any worse in Portugal than in the rest of Europe. After all, Frazer herself points out that the Jews had been expelled from England long before the story. As for the Spanish Inquisition, it did not start actively persecuting the Spanish Conversos until around 1480 or so. The Inquisition actually began with a concern more for Christian heretics than for Jews, and when it did begin to address Jews, many of the first cases are found in France, not Spain.

All of this is not meant to show that Frazer is a bad writer OR researcher, just a request that if she receives criticism from someone like the reviewer mentioning challah or myself, and if she would like to respond, that she give some of her sources or reasons for using the disputed information. Perhaps she knew that the Jews were expelled from Portugal later and that the Spanish Inquisition had not started its terrible reign in Spain in the earliest part of the 15th century, but wanted to use those points as plot devises anyway. And the use of challah bread was fascinating in the story whether or not someone like Frevisse could have known it by that name in Enland before 1450.

I am still a huge fan of Frazers writing and mysteries and will continue to read her work.

Margaret Frazer's Sister Frevisse series is a total winner for those who enjoy medieval mysteries like I do. I did read this one out of sequence a bit since I got the latest title "A Traitor's Tale" first. This book covers the summer of 1450 and Sister Frevisse is in London on yet another task for her relative, the Duchess of Suffolk. It was during this summer that Henry VI of England's popularity was at its lowest, and it is when a revolt led by Jack Cade tried to take London away from the Crown. Dame Frevisse is dragged into murder and mayhem, and she finds herself caught in the home of a middle class merchant while all of London is in a uproar. Ms. Frazer's tale is about love, deceptions, treacheries, greed and fear. And it's about how Sister Frevisse keeps her own sanity amongst all the turmoil. As always the historical detail is painstakingly accurate, and the characters are three-dimesional living, breathing people. And Dame Frevisse is a marvel! We also see what it was like for a Jew to live in an anti-Semetic world. Do not miss this series!

In England of 1450 widowed Sempster (seamstress) Anne Blakhall loves David Weir, a foreign merchant who is a Jew pretending to be a Christian since all members of his religion were expelled from England during King Edward's time. He has many secrets that he keeps from her but circumstances force him to let Anne into a part of his clandestine life. He wants her to bring gold smuggled in to Dame Frevisse, who in turn will deliver it to her cousin Lady Alica, the recently widowed Duchess of Suffolk.

Frevisse is not happy that her cousin bribed her nunnery by promising them funeral vestments to get her to come to London. In the middle of a local rebellion against King Henry VI and his favorite nobles Frevisse becomes involved in two murder investigations. Hal, the step-son of Anne's friend Raulyn is murdered with what looks like Hebrew letters on his naked body. The second homicide occurs during the London riots while they all take shelter in Raulyn's home. David's heritage is discovered and a priest orders that he is to be tied up and taken away to the Bishop when London returns to normal. The priest is murdered and his body found outside the door and it becomes apparent to David and Frevisse that there is a killer in the house who must be stopped.

Readers get a glimpse into a bygone era where England is fed up with their monarch who taxes them unmercifully to fill his coffers and that of most loyal nobles. The way Christians thinks of Jews in a land where none are surprised to be is frightening because the prejudice is based on rumor and innuendo of people who have never met a Jewish person. The who-done it is told against this backdrop of prejudice and anger at the king which makes for a complex and compelling mystery. Fans of Sharon Kay Penman's medieval mystery series are going to love this book.

Harriet Klausner

Perhaps the Frevisse mysteries have historical inaccuracies, particularly regarding the Jewish traditions, but we can forgive them. The excellence of the characters' interaction and pure joy of reading a superbly crafted book makes all else pale. In this book, Frevisse is the unwilling carrier of a fortune in gold for her cousin, Alice, after the death of Alice's husband. So Frevisse must travel to London, a London unlike the one previously described in novels, a London more civilized and clean than we had been led to believe in the past.

The story is well-done and the mystery not so mysterious that we do not know who the killer is early on, but we don't care. The interaction between the various characters is so fantastically presented that the mystery is simply a secondary issue, albeit interesting because it presents the motivations of people who kill through history.

Do not miss this book if you enjoy fine writing and historical mysteries.

To gain continuity in this series, reading them in order is besT. Dame Frevisse is visiting London on a mission for her cousin, Lady Alice. A city in the verge of rebellion is not where she wants to be, but duty to her convent is the first order of business.
THE SEMPSTER'S TALE explores two themes of medieval England that are ignored in the history books. A woman on her own with her own business and the fate of Jews who are in England after they have been outlawed and exiled for over one hundred years.
A good read at anytime.
Nash Black, SANDPRINTS OF DEATH