Book dossier

An odour of sanctity

by Frank Yerby

***9th century Spain--an age of brutal battles to the death and dungeons equipped with thumbscrews and spiked boots.*** An age of perfumed harems where acts of love were spiced with the erotic mysteries of the Orient. a time when merchants, princes, thieves and whores, Christians, Islamic Arabs, Berbers, Yemenites, Greeks and Jews were trapped in an inferno of embattled peoples and faiths. ***Only such an age could have spawned Alaric Tendisson - the mighty Spanish nobleman whose extraordinary capacity for love was matched only by the violence of his destiny.*** **GOODREADS member reviews:** ***Cliff Morrison rated it 3 of 5 Stars - liked it:*** Whether Frank Yerby's novels were set in the past or the present, his style could be rhetorically long-winded, his characters wildly inconsistent and his overall plots haphazardly developed. Despite all that, in "An Odor of Sanctity" and several other works Yerby had, in large supply, the often under-appreciated ability to tell a story that compels a reader’s attention. ***Sarah Rigg rated it 4 of 5 Stars - really liked it:*** I read this as a preteen, I think, but I'm guessing on the read date. I still remember a couple of images from this historical novel, particularly how everybody was kind of smelly and covered it up with perfume, and the main character having an image in his mind of St. Agatha holding out her breasts that were cut off as part of her torture at the hands of Roman prefect Quintianus. I didn't realize at the time I read the book that Yerby is African American and a bit of a legend in his time for his success as a writer. I want to read more by him now! ***Gerry Germond rated it 2 of 5 Stars it was ok: (medieval-history, fiction)*** In 1955, author Frank Yerby moved to Spain as a protest against racial discrimination in the U.S. It looks like he spent a decade learning about and researching early Medieval Spain under the Goths and the Emirate of Córdoba under Abd ar-Rahman II. An Odor of Sanctity (the term is a Catholic belief) and the book is about a non-believer who becomes, well, read the book, in spite of what he thinks. We have the usual Yerbyisms: the able hero who is more protagonist, a romantic triangle (several, in fact), Great & Awful Truths delivered in whispers, while women “wail” about something or other. Best of all, we have more great history about life in Spain under Goths and Moors. It took me a while to read the book, because it seemed to drag in places and I lost track when and where our protagonist-come-hero made a major transformation. The pace was regained toward the end of the story. No spoilers for you but I sensed author Yerby has great respect for both Christians and Muslims alike while holding fanatics of both sects in cold contempt. Good for him. It would be sorely tested today (he died in 1991). ***Donna rated it 5 of 5 Stars - it was amazing:*** I found this old first edition (1965) hardbound book with jacket on sale for seventy five cents while I was on vacation. It looked like it might be a fun read. This book was very interesting and fun to read. It is quite the swashbuckler with a philosophical theme about religion, love, romance, tolerance, sainthood and martyrdom. I also had fun after reading the book tracing the actual history of the era and figuring out who the author based the main character on. In doing that I learned about the Martyrs of Cordoba, the culture of the Moors of early al Andalus and the Visigoths who ruled the area until the Moors moved into Spain. I also discovered that the inspiration for the main character is loosely modeled after a Visigoth king that lived a few centuries earlier. The story is exciting, sexy and intelligently written. I also found the final chapters quite shocking and realized that this part of the story had to be based on historical events. Yes, truth can be stranger than fiction.