The Blackest Time
Set in the 1300s during the devastating black plague, The Blackest Time is a powerful tale of compassion, love, and the human spirit’s ability to endure immense adversity.
Gino, the central character, is a young man who leaves his family’s farm to find work in a pharmacy in Florence. His experiences show us how people coped in the most horrific time in history.
Shortly after Gino arrived in the city, two years of incessant rain destroyed crops in the countryside, leading to famine and despair in the city. Gino offers hope and help to the suffering— he secures shelter for a woman forced to leave her flooded farm, rescues a young girl orphaned by the plague, and aids others who have lost everything.
The rains had barely ended when the plague hit the city, exposing the true character of its people. While some blamed others for the devastation, the story focuses on the compassionate acts of neighbors helping each other overcome fear and suffering. Doctors bravely risk infection to care for their patients. A woman healer, wrongly accused of witchcraft and driven from the city, finds a new beginning in a village where her skills were appreciated.
Despite the hardships, love blossoms between Gino and a young woman he met at the apothecary. Together they survive, finding strength in each other and hope in a world teetering on the edge.
The Blackest Time is a testament to the strength of the human spirit in overcoming unimaginable tragedy.
Praise for The Blackest Time:
“The complexities and the helplessness of the plague is captured exquisitely in The Blackest Time.”
~ The Independent Book Review
“Tentarelli’s ability to immerse readers in medieval Florence’s sights, sounds, and struggles makes this a novel worth diving into.”
~ The Literary Titan
“The historically rigorous description of the apothecary profession, including the guild that regulates it, is impressively presented by the author, whose research is impeccable.”
~ Kirkus Reviews
“This is truly an uplifting and edifying narrative of the inherent ability of mankind to rise above all the worst trials and tribulations. I enjoyed this story immensely and highly recommend it.”
~ Readers Favorite 5 star review
Gino’s sister answered the bell at the rear entrance. Gino moved her to a bench in the hallway and sat beside her. “I have terrible news.” He placed a hand on her arm. “I got word from our brother … our mother has died.”
Lucia stared at Gino with disbelief that quickly gave way to tears. He wrapped his arms around her and let her cry until the sobbing slowed before he continued. “It was the pestilence.”
Gradually, the tears stopped, and Lucia’s thinking cleared. “Did you hear anything about our sisters? Who’s taking care of them? They can’t be left alone.”
“The barge captain who brought me the message said only that everyone else is well. If the captain can deliver a letter to our brother, we can ask about the girls.”
“I should go to Pisa to look after them. They’re too young to be left alone,” Lucia sniffled.
Gino raised a hand defiantly. “I know you’re worried about our sisters, but the plague is still strong in Pisa. You musn’t go there.
That night, Gino climbed into bed, clutching the knitted wool cap his mother had given him when he left the farm. He carried the sorrow of his mother’s death like a barb or stinger lodged in his flesh, haunted by not knowing whether she had received last rites or whether he would ever visit her grave. At the apothecary, he had spoken with many people who had suffered the loss of family members, and only a few of them had healed from their tragedy. Some tried to hide their pain, but most felt their sorrow as deeply as he did.
He spent the next day in his room. His mother appeared whenever he closed his eyes, and even in the dim candlelight, with his eyes open. He ate only a chunk of stale bread softened in a dish of water. “I should have gone to Pisa,” he berated himself. “I could have held her hand and told her how much I loved her. Her other children were with her at the end and I was not.”
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| Ken in Florence |
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