Rocamora

donroc · Post by **donroc** » Tue January 13th, 2009, 6:30 pm

Five months later than planned, I am delighted to announce the availability of Rocamora, my novel set in 17th century Spain and Amsterdam, at Amazon and at your friendly bookseller through Ingram/Books in Print.

Vicente de Rocamora, 1601-1684, my historical MC, was the Dominican confessor and spiritual director for Infanta María, younger sister of Philip IV, when she was in her teens to early twenties and he only five years older in the era before confessional booths.

It is recorded that she honored Rocamora, showered him with gifts, and confessed several times a week before she left Spain in 1629 to wed her cousin Ferdinand, future HRE.

Rocamora disappeared from court in 1643, reappeared in Amsterdam, declared himself to be a Jew, took the name Isaac israel de Rocamora, and that is where I end the novel with a spoiler were I to reveal it.

This amazing individual went to medical school at Leyden in 1645 and received his license to practice in 1647, the same year he married a twenty-five year old who bore him nine childdren over the next eleven years. He was one of only three Jewish physicians to earn citizenship equal to Christians in Amsterdam during the 17th century and established through his descendants a multi-generational line of physicians -- but all that is grist for the sequel.

According to my research and that of other on my behalf, no book, monogrpah, or article in any respected journal has been written about Rocamora. He appears only sintences and a paragraph here and there in books wirtten about Jews who fled Spain and about the sephardic community of Amsterdam

Those great gaps in ihs life afforded me the opportunity to let my creative juices flow unhindered by previous research -- and enriched by discoveries not published.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the HNS conference in June.

Carine · Post by **Carine** » Tue January 13th, 2009, 6:33 pm

Congratulations Donroc !!

annis · Post by **annis** » Tue January 13th, 2009, 6:43 pm

Good news, Donroc. Congratulations!

diamondlil · Post by **diamondlil** » Tue January 13th, 2009, 7:42 pm

Congratulations and good luck with your release.

donroc · Post by **donroc** » Tue January 13th, 2009, 7:52 pm

Thank you Annis and diamondlil. By the way, Anita Shreve betaed the first 70+ pages of an early draft without my asking her.

Libby · Post by **Libby** » Tue January 13th, 2009, 9:28 pm

Congratulations! It sounds very interesting.

donroc · Post by **donroc** » Tue January 13th, 2009, 10:12 pm

Libby, he lived a unique life -- or several it seems.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Wed January 14th, 2009, 4:20 pm

Congratulations Donroc. Sounds very interesting and in the fullness of time I hope to get around to reading it.

Sorry not to respond earlier but my e-mail was temporarily up the creek and now I have to catch up!

Carla · Post by **Carla** » Wed January 14th, 2009, 5:24 pm

Congratulations!

donroc · Post by **donroc** » Wed January 14th, 2009, 5:34 pm

Thank you ec2 and Carla.