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The Moorish Whore: A Novel
Plucked as a prize of war from the palace of the poet-king of Sevilla, princess Zaida lost her name, her religion and her family in a single day. Isolated in San Facund, the monastic heart of the Castilian king´s vast realm, Isabel´s Psalter and folio of Islamic poems kept her spirit alive in a town that considered her "a Moorish whore." Betrayal and a clever escape led her to a new life, and a chance to write her colorful tale. "The Moorish Whore" is based on the true story of an 11th century princess.
- GenresHistorical FictionSpain
238 pages, Paperback
First published April 29, 2012
About the author
Rebekah Scott
8 books15 followersRebekah Scott is an American expatriate writer and blogger who lives in a tiny pueblo in rural Castilla y Leon, Spain.
She was born into a working-class family of coal miners and steel workers, but her father joined the US Air Force. Rebekah and her sisters were raised on military installations all over the world, by parents who kept them well-apprised of the local economy, politics, history, and culture. This nomadic upbringing, combined with a strong but tolerant Christian faith, continues to flavor Rebekah´s writing, outlook, and lifestyle.
Rebekah studied history and historiography at university, and started a career in journalism at a small-town newspaper in Western Pennsylvania. In the next 25 years she moved up the journalism ladder, raised two children, attended a seminary, specialized in travel and religion writing, and spent thee years as an international freelance journalist and a ghost-writer and editor of dubious natural-health books. She discovered Spain and the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail in 1993, and never looked back.
She married UK tabloid journalist Patrick O´Gara in 2003. They sold-up and moved in 2006 to a former sheep-pen in a tiny pueblo along the Camino, where they now look after many animals and the occasional pilgrim. Rebekah has kept "Big Fun in a Tiny Pueblo," an award-winning "life overseas" blog, since 2007. "The Moorish Whore," her first novel, was published in 2012.
She was born into a working-class family of coal miners and steel workers, but her father joined the US Air Force. Rebekah and her sisters were raised on military installations all over the world, by parents who kept them well-apprised of the local economy, politics, history, and culture. This nomadic upbringing, combined with a strong but tolerant Christian faith, continues to flavor Rebekah´s writing, outlook, and lifestyle.
Rebekah studied history and historiography at university, and started a career in journalism at a small-town newspaper in Western Pennsylvania. In the next 25 years she moved up the journalism ladder, raised two children, attended a seminary, specialized in travel and religion writing, and spent thee years as an international freelance journalist and a ghost-writer and editor of dubious natural-health books. She discovered Spain and the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail in 1993, and never looked back.
She married UK tabloid journalist Patrick O´Gara in 2003. They sold-up and moved in 2006 to a former sheep-pen in a tiny pueblo along the Camino, where they now look after many animals and the occasional pilgrim. Rebekah has kept "Big Fun in a Tiny Pueblo," an award-winning "life overseas" blog, since 2007. "The Moorish Whore," her first novel, was published in 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 20, 2013
In a stroke of Divine Providence, I met Rebekah Scott recently during my pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. And when she mentioned she had recently published a novel, my “recovering English major” instincts kicked in and I placed my order for a signed copy. My only hope was that the book be literally worth its weight as cargo upon my back for the next couple of weeks as I continued to advance on foot to Santiago.
The Moorish Whore is not only worth its weight, but is a jewel, a diamond in the rough sea of many works of literature available to us today. As the majority or reviewers have done justice to the synopsis and historical relevance of the characters and plot, I will restrict my comments mostly to the writing itself as Rebekah has achieved something of greatness with her first novel.
While this is fiction, I felt myself suspended in disbelief from start to finish, as if I had come across Sister Isabel's written memoirs in the drawer of some nondescript desk at a convent in northern Spain, reading of her remarkable life journey starting as a Moorish princess and becoming a controversial Christian queen before being cloistered away and forgotten to the world. And yes, I rushed to Wikipedia to learn more about what we know about this once breathing woman.
The writing is superb, as is the pacing and organization. Zaida takes us with her in a stream of consciousness trip down memory lane, occasionally drifting off into some tributary but always apologizing for it with a smile and bringing us back to finish what she set out to tell. The digressions are of course relevant and are references to other chapters of her life, helping the oeuvre to fully develop its characters and their set of circumstances.
What I liked most about Zaida is that she was a survivor through and through, having navigated the rough political waters of a scheming church and unpredictable (and I will argue impenetrable) king husband with dignity, courage, and even humility in the reflective acknowledgement of her own youthful mistakes.
Being able to bring a reader to the level of compassion I felt for a fictional character is a gift. It opens you to the possibility of human empathy. In this case, we see the world through the lens of a woman who was a princess, queen, mother, and nun and experience the pain of all those who took from her as well as the hopes she held until the very end.
The Moorish Whore is not only worth its weight, but is a jewel, a diamond in the rough sea of many works of literature available to us today. As the majority or reviewers have done justice to the synopsis and historical relevance of the characters and plot, I will restrict my comments mostly to the writing itself as Rebekah has achieved something of greatness with her first novel.
While this is fiction, I felt myself suspended in disbelief from start to finish, as if I had come across Sister Isabel's written memoirs in the drawer of some nondescript desk at a convent in northern Spain, reading of her remarkable life journey starting as a Moorish princess and becoming a controversial Christian queen before being cloistered away and forgotten to the world. And yes, I rushed to Wikipedia to learn more about what we know about this once breathing woman.
The writing is superb, as is the pacing and organization. Zaida takes us with her in a stream of consciousness trip down memory lane, occasionally drifting off into some tributary but always apologizing for it with a smile and bringing us back to finish what she set out to tell. The digressions are of course relevant and are references to other chapters of her life, helping the oeuvre to fully develop its characters and their set of circumstances.
What I liked most about Zaida is that she was a survivor through and through, having navigated the rough political waters of a scheming church and unpredictable (and I will argue impenetrable) king husband with dignity, courage, and even humility in the reflective acknowledgement of her own youthful mistakes.
Being able to bring a reader to the level of compassion I felt for a fictional character is a gift. It opens you to the possibility of human empathy. In this case, we see the world through the lens of a woman who was a princess, queen, mother, and nun and experience the pain of all those who took from her as well as the hopes she held until the very end.
April 28, 2015
Rebekah Scott’s novel, “A Moorish Whore” took me back to the 11th century of Medieval Spain.
The main character, Zaida bint Mu’tamid, is a princess of Moorish Seville who was carried off by Alphonzo the I, King of Castille and Leon, as a prize of war. She was baptized a Christian, given the name Isabel, the King married her, and brought her to the north of Spain, to San Fecund, which is now Sahagun.
We see the world of 11th Century Spain through Zaida’s eyes. The novel’s female perspective is one of its strengths. She loves the King, and the children she bears. She brings cleanliness and running water to her town. She is more educated than the monks in power in San Fecund, who never accept her, and see her as an infidel. We witness and cheer her on in her struggle to survive in a harsh land run by violence and intrigue.
One of the delights of the novel was recognizing a place in the book. It’s just outside of Sahagun. When I was there, it had a feeling of being “out of time.” There’s a little bridge over the river, and a stone chapel built in the 11th Century.
In the novel, Zaida finds understanding with the hermit Esteban who lives there. Pilgrims walking to Santiago stopped there for respite. Zaida adopts the little waystation, brings in running water and sanitation, and builds the chapel. She befriends the people who live on the riverbank, who catch crabs and fish. It was a wonderful reimagining of what a place was like centuries ago. There are so many ancient places along the Camino just like it. Each of them has a history that has been lost to time. As Pilgrims, we go by quickly, snap a photo, and move on.
Scott reveals Zaida’s strong character through a swirl of memories and the story deepens as we learn more about her life back in Seville. Her parents are notable characters, and we learn that life was not at all perfect before she was “chosen” by Alphonzo. There were power struggles within the court, and, as a young woman, Zaida was used as a pawn by her own family, too.
The plot thickens towards the end of the novel, and builds towards a surprising finish. Zaida/Isabel is a survivor and a strong woman. “The Moorish Whore,” brings her and her time, back to life.
The main character, Zaida bint Mu’tamid, is a princess of Moorish Seville who was carried off by Alphonzo the I, King of Castille and Leon, as a prize of war. She was baptized a Christian, given the name Isabel, the King married her, and brought her to the north of Spain, to San Fecund, which is now Sahagun.
We see the world of 11th Century Spain through Zaida’s eyes. The novel’s female perspective is one of its strengths. She loves the King, and the children she bears. She brings cleanliness and running water to her town. She is more educated than the monks in power in San Fecund, who never accept her, and see her as an infidel. We witness and cheer her on in her struggle to survive in a harsh land run by violence and intrigue.
One of the delights of the novel was recognizing a place in the book. It’s just outside of Sahagun. When I was there, it had a feeling of being “out of time.” There’s a little bridge over the river, and a stone chapel built in the 11th Century.
In the novel, Zaida finds understanding with the hermit Esteban who lives there. Pilgrims walking to Santiago stopped there for respite. Zaida adopts the little waystation, brings in running water and sanitation, and builds the chapel. She befriends the people who live on the riverbank, who catch crabs and fish. It was a wonderful reimagining of what a place was like centuries ago. There are so many ancient places along the Camino just like it. Each of them has a history that has been lost to time. As Pilgrims, we go by quickly, snap a photo, and move on.
Scott reveals Zaida’s strong character through a swirl of memories and the story deepens as we learn more about her life back in Seville. Her parents are notable characters, and we learn that life was not at all perfect before she was “chosen” by Alphonzo. There were power struggles within the court, and, as a young woman, Zaida was used as a pawn by her own family, too.
The plot thickens towards the end of the novel, and builds towards a surprising finish. Zaida/Isabel is a survivor and a strong woman. “The Moorish Whore,” brings her and her time, back to life.
May 10, 2015
Reading more like a (fictional) memoir at times than a novel, the story starts slowly, introducing Zaida, her medieval world, and her difficult situation as not-quite-wife of the King of Leon and Castile. In fact, not a lot is known about her real life but quite a lot about the culture and history of the time. Rebekah Scott makes that come alive and finds a way to expand on what little we know to create a fully-realized character with insight, joys, and sorrows.
And slowly, Zaida's precarious situation becomes dangerous, even worse than she suspected in this story of love, betrayal, and intrigue.
And slowly, Zaida's precarious situation becomes dangerous, even worse than she suspected in this story of love, betrayal, and intrigue.
November 7, 2023
Just finished this book, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The author took the sparse facts known about a woman married to a king of Castille & León and imagined an engossing story of women traded like chattel, diabolical monks, and poetry slinging kings and couriers. Who doesn't love stories that bring historical times to life -- even if great license may need to be taken? Now I want even more to visit Seville, return to the chapel of El Vigen del Puente in Sagahun, and mabe even visit the tomb of Zaida's parents outside Marrakech!
July 21, 2013
The novel, THE MOORISH WHORE begins in the year 1110 and is based on the life an historical Moorish princess named Zaida who became the wife or mistress of Alfonso VI the Christian king of Leon and Castilla. In the days before there was the country we know know as Spain, this tale unfolds mainly in San Fecund, now Sahagún, Spain. Written in the first person, the book is one in which Zaida seeks to set the record straight about her life. She was called a whore, but believed that she was the wife of a king.
As the author notes on the back of the book, this is "a place and time almost lost to history." And remarkably Rebekah Scott makes his remote time credible and alive to the modern reader. The author has remained faithful to the spirit and history of the times while creating an intriguing story about the life of her heroine.
The "place and time" are almost lost to history, but the locations in the story are not. The book would have been greatly enhanced by the addition of a map. Also, as a reader I wanted to see and experience Alfonso more clearly. He doesn't really emerge from Zaida's tale and a great deal of her story turns around him.
In spite of the these minor reservations, I was grabbed on the first page. "Once I was a princess, a Moorish princess....Alfonso the Christian king of Leon and Castilla carried me off as prize of war." If you love the medieval world, you will enjoy this well written and carefully researched evocation of a little known time and place.
As the author notes on the back of the book, this is "a place and time almost lost to history." And remarkably Rebekah Scott makes his remote time credible and alive to the modern reader. The author has remained faithful to the spirit and history of the times while creating an intriguing story about the life of her heroine.
The "place and time" are almost lost to history, but the locations in the story are not. The book would have been greatly enhanced by the addition of a map. Also, as a reader I wanted to see and experience Alfonso more clearly. He doesn't really emerge from Zaida's tale and a great deal of her story turns around him.
In spite of the these minor reservations, I was grabbed on the first page. "Once I was a princess, a Moorish princess....Alfonso the Christian king of Leon and Castilla carried me off as prize of war." If you love the medieval world, you will enjoy this well written and carefully researched evocation of a little known time and place.
June 8, 2012
I really enjoyed this romance. I'm using romance in the best sense of that word. This book takes you to a time and place that we can know only in our imaginations; the dangerous, violent, and tumultuous early Middle Ages. Christian and Muslim rulers in many kingdoms in Iberia were at war, with shifting alliances. The novel's protagonist, Zaida, a Muslim princess, becomes a pawn in the game when the Christian king Alfonso takes her as his bride. We share in her experiences, written in her own hand. I couldn't put it down!
The author is able to convey the complexity of the background without it making it sound like a history lesson. She is careful not to let it intrude into the story, which has enough twists and turns to keep adventure junkies hooked! We empathize with Zaida, who finds a way to make a life for herself in a strange land, in a world in which she has control over almost nothing. Even though the story takes place nearly a thousand years ago, we can connect with her feelings in a very modern way. Good Read!
The author is able to convey the complexity of the background without it making it sound like a history lesson. She is careful not to let it intrude into the story, which has enough twists and turns to keep adventure junkies hooked! We empathize with Zaida, who finds a way to make a life for herself in a strange land, in a world in which she has control over almost nothing. Even though the story takes place nearly a thousand years ago, we can connect with her feelings in a very modern way. Good Read!
July 24, 2012
The Moorish Whore, by Rebekah Scott (eBook version)
This is a great book!
In the beginning I was settling in with the comfortable writing style of what could almost be chick lit. It was intense and descriptive, rich in its emotions and colorful references. BUT when I thought it was going to be an easy book, by some skillfully planned twists of plot it turns into this fast-pace page turning frenzy that still has me gasping for air!
In one word, WOW!
Ms Scott managed to bring her character Zaida into a very dignified light. She is vivacious and sharp, diplomatic and seductive, dark, sensual and spectacularly skilled at getting herself in trouble and finally escaping it.... This portray is glorious, fit for a queen.
I literally devoured this book. I am secretly hoping for a sequel.
Big Thumbs Up!
This is a great book!
In the beginning I was settling in with the comfortable writing style of what could almost be chick lit. It was intense and descriptive, rich in its emotions and colorful references. BUT when I thought it was going to be an easy book, by some skillfully planned twists of plot it turns into this fast-pace page turning frenzy that still has me gasping for air!
In one word, WOW!
Ms Scott managed to bring her character Zaida into a very dignified light. She is vivacious and sharp, diplomatic and seductive, dark, sensual and spectacularly skilled at getting herself in trouble and finally escaping it.... This portray is glorious, fit for a queen.
I literally devoured this book. I am secretly hoping for a sequel.
Big Thumbs Up!
July 21, 2014
"I am setting down the truth of my life, even if it is unwelcome or inconvenient to some. [...] it should be written. Truth must be set down [...]"
"Like most of history, only parts of it are true."
"If we believe in truth, we disarm the curses."
Tal es el espîritu cuya fuerza anima toda la obra. The Moorish whore es el testimonio de una narradora desengañada, digna y sin rencores que, sintiendo la proximidad del fin, decanta su amor por la vida y su verdad. Rebekah Scott da letra a esa voz que ha yacido emparedada durante casi un milenio en una fortaleza acalladora. Esta escritora se ocupa, por vîa de la ficciôn histôrica, de una verdad profunda, tierna y atronadora. ¿ Es Zaida Isabel una filôsofa de las mujeres y, por ello, una filôsofa universal ? En todo caso, a través de Scott nos llega su manifiesto.
October 17, 2023
Thanks Rebekah!
I just finished reading The Moorish Whore!
I could hardly put it down!
The underlying theme’s of power, war, religion, politics and bigotry are still present today over a thousand years and with God on their side.
Zaida is a survivor, with compassion and integrity! As a woman and mother she was brave and courageous in a male dominated society. Thank you for bringing life to these characters and events giving me/us hope!
Laurin
Vacaville, CA
I just finished reading The Moorish Whore!
I could hardly put it down!
The underlying theme’s of power, war, religion, politics and bigotry are still present today over a thousand years and with God on their side.
Zaida is a survivor, with compassion and integrity! As a woman and mother she was brave and courageous in a male dominated society. Thank you for bringing life to these characters and events giving me/us hope!
Laurin
Vacaville, CA
September 13, 2014
I bought this book after living in Spain, walking the Camino de Santiago and following the author's blog. I was interested in the interaction of Christian/Muslim cultures in Spain's history. It was an interesting book, though it took me a while to get into. While I have seen the retrospective memoir format done well, in this case the timeline jumps were a little confusing and lost me at times.
September 26, 2022
Excellent book!!!
February 8, 2013
Just could not get into this novel. I'll give it another try in a few months.
August 15, 2026
Read this on rec from my dad, what an underrated book!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews