The Blackest Time - Compassion, Love, Triumph of the human spirit
A novel of Florence during the time of the Black Plague
It’s Europe in the 1300s, and Gino, a young man living in rural Italy, leaves behind the familiarity of his family’s farm to seek a new life as an apprentice in an apothecary shop in Florence.
But Gino’s dream quickly becomes a nightmare as relentless rain destroys crops in the countryside, leading to famine and despair in the city. He is grief stricken to lose contact with his family when they are forced to flee their farm.
Just as the rains end, the devastating Black Plague sweeps through Florence. Fear and superstition consume the city, targeting priests, immigrants, and women accused of practicing witchcraft.
Even with his own challenges, Gino offers help to the suffering—a woman left alone in the city, a young girl orphaned by the plague, and people who have lost everything. And just as he’s providing hope to others, glimmers of happiness come his way as well, even in a world teetering on the edge.
The Blackest Time is a powerful tale of compassion, love, and the human spirit’s ability to endure immense adversity.
Published by Black Rose Writing
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