ANOTHER NOVEL ABOUT SICILY

When I popped over to Britain in October 2006, mainly for the Cheltenham Literature Festival , I attended a talk by Barry Unsworth about his historical novel set in Sicily, The Ruby in her Navel. I was fascinated by what he had to say, as he spoke of a time in twelfth-century Palermo when Christians, Muslims and Jews lived in harmony and appreciated each other’s skills.

Thurstan, a young Norman at the court of King Roger 11, where Muslims are entrusted with very high office, is the main character. He is the Purveyor of Pleasures and Shows but works for the Diwan of Control, or Financial Department. His ambition is to become a knight. In love with his childhood sweetheart, who has reappeared in his life, our would-be knight is also drawn to the exotic dancer, Nesrin, whom he brings to the court along with her troupe.

The vibrant atmosphere of Palermo in this era is well evoked and we are taken on a journey that encompasses not only daily life under the Norman king, but the Royal Chapel during the crafting of its magnificent mosaics, the silk workshop of the tiraz and the sumptuous surroundings and lifestyle of the royal court as they hunt at Favara [Agrigento]. We are also provided with an insight as to the character of Roger himself and one of the best descriptions of how he may have looked that I have ever read.

Yet times were already changing in Palermo and a sort of Christian fundamentalism sets in: thus Thurstan finds himself caught up in an episode of betrayal that leads to tragedy and there is an ingenious plot twist at the end of this tale.

I recommend this book to all who are interested in the history of Sicily for, as Unsworth has said, the story certainly has resonances for our time.