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The Wool Translator
EUROPE, 1480s. In war-plagued western Europe, is there hope for a Christian boy who meets a Muslim girl?
Young genius Newt's gift for language turns a curse when he blurts out in Latin about the devil at his parish church. Facing charges of witchery, he flees England to act as translator in his father's wool trade. Newt meets a merchant traveling from the Muslim Nasrid Kingdom in Iberia who has a similar problem. His daughter Aisha, a prodigy who sees mathematical patterns in nature, is threatened by warfare waged by the Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabel.
Newt and Aisha meet under the care of a tutor, Peter, a young priest from the Universities of Paris. Peter enlists them in his scheme to travel to the Nasrid Kingdom to rescue Arabic books from the ravages of war. But Peter does not plan on his youthful charges falling in love, a love taboo to both of their religions. When warfare drives the lovers apart, they vow to reunite.
Newt follows Aisha's trail through war-plagued Western Europe, pausing for stints as a publisher's assistant, a translator for an English knight, and an aide to his tutor as the pair strive to rescue books in Nasrid libraries from the approaching Castilian army.
The Wool Translator explores scenes as diverse as student life in Paris, Henry Tudor’s efforts to claim the English throne, the early book printing business, and the final skirmishes of the Castilian-Nasrid war.
Meticulously researched, The Wool Translator won the Jameson Award (UOP Conference on Creative Writing) and was short-listed for the Chaucer Book Award (Chanticleer Reviews).
Young genius Newt's gift for language turns a curse when he blurts out in Latin about the devil at his parish church. Facing charges of witchery, he flees England to act as translator in his father's wool trade. Newt meets a merchant traveling from the Muslim Nasrid Kingdom in Iberia who has a similar problem. His daughter Aisha, a prodigy who sees mathematical patterns in nature, is threatened by warfare waged by the Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabel.
Newt and Aisha meet under the care of a tutor, Peter, a young priest from the Universities of Paris. Peter enlists them in his scheme to travel to the Nasrid Kingdom to rescue Arabic books from the ravages of war. But Peter does not plan on his youthful charges falling in love, a love taboo to both of their religions. When warfare drives the lovers apart, they vow to reunite.
Newt follows Aisha's trail through war-plagued Western Europe, pausing for stints as a publisher's assistant, a translator for an English knight, and an aide to his tutor as the pair strive to rescue books in Nasrid libraries from the approaching Castilian army.
The Wool Translator explores scenes as diverse as student life in Paris, Henry Tudor’s efforts to claim the English throne, the early book printing business, and the final skirmishes of the Castilian-Nasrid war.
Meticulously researched, The Wool Translator won the Jameson Award (UOP Conference on Creative Writing) and was short-listed for the Chaucer Book Award (Chanticleer Reviews).
362 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2022
16 people are currently reading
217 people want to read
About the author
Tim Schooley
3 books4 followersTim Schooley is the author of historical fiction. His debut novel, The Wool Translator, won the Jameson Award (UOP) and was short-listed for the Chaucer Book Award (Chanticleer Reviews). His new novel, Circus of the Vanishing Elephant, will be released by History Through Fiction Publishing on September 15, 2026.
Tim pursued a career as an appellate attorney and law school professor, and early in his life he performed as a circus clown with Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus. He lives with his wife in Northern California. Visit his website at www.timschooley.com.
Tim pursued a career as an appellate attorney and law school professor, and early in his life he performed as a circus clown with Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus. He lives with his wife in Northern California. Visit his website at www.timschooley.com.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 3, 2022
This book is beautifully written. It is so historicity detailed it transports you to the 15th century. It has great intimate character development. It is one of the best books I’ve ever read.
November 10, 2022
In the 1480s, two gifted youngsters meet and fall in love. She's Muslim, he's Christian, and for the people in their lives that's simply a bridge too far. The author uses the setting to great effect, pushing the main characters together and then pulling them apart in ways that feel natural and historically accurate. Almost as interesting as the main plot are the historical events that move things along. I greatly enjoyed the odd jobs Newt takes on along the way, whether hunting for turtles or familiarizing himself with a fifteenth-century printing press.
I found the open-and-shut-case attitude of the parents interesting and well told. The answer to whether Newt and Aisha can be together is, of course, no. The parents stave off any dramatic gestures with the equivalent of a derisive Ha, as if in response to a child declaring he wants to be a dinosaur when he grows up. But Newt and Aisha aren't your typical star-crossed lovers — they're smart. They're teenagers but they're not over-emotional hotheads and more importantly, they don't have the time to dwell on the subject. Newt is busy trying to translate books before they are destroyed, and Aisha spends much of the book moving from place to place to escape the war. So they state their positions, hear their parents out, and resolve to chip away at their arguments over time. Over years, if necessary.
The Wool Translator has a little bit of everything, effortlessly blended into a compelling historical fiction novel that was difficult to put down. I loved it.
I found the open-and-shut-case attitude of the parents interesting and well told. The answer to whether Newt and Aisha can be together is, of course, no. The parents stave off any dramatic gestures with the equivalent of a derisive Ha, as if in response to a child declaring he wants to be a dinosaur when he grows up. But Newt and Aisha aren't your typical star-crossed lovers — they're smart. They're teenagers but they're not over-emotional hotheads and more importantly, they don't have the time to dwell on the subject. Newt is busy trying to translate books before they are destroyed, and Aisha spends much of the book moving from place to place to escape the war. So they state their positions, hear their parents out, and resolve to chip away at their arguments over time. Over years, if necessary.
The Wool Translator has a little bit of everything, effortlessly blended into a compelling historical fiction novel that was difficult to put down. I loved it.
August 5, 2024
Could have been great but, alas fell very very short!
August 16, 2022
This debut novel by the talented Tim Schooley is a fascinating tale of Western Europe in the late fifteenth century. Like all good historical novels, the well-researched history of the region is wrapped around fiction, in this case the story of young lovers, here the English son of a wool merchant with a facility for language and the Muslim daughter of a well-to-do Nasrid merchant who is herself a mathematical prodigy. Their travels through kingdoms at war with each other in a world where Christianity is determined to conquer Islam lead them together and drive them apart time and time again. I won’t spoil the ending here, and I don’t know if the author is contemplating a sequel, but I would welcome a continuation of this well-written saga.
November 16, 2022
This is a great time period novel featuring memorable characters like Newt and Aisha who are gifted, inquisitive, headstrong and passionate. Newt is willing to travel through dangerous terrains risking his life for a chance to be close to the women he loves even though it is traditionally forbidden and obstacles continue to block his path. The story is full of action and adventure as well as mystery and intrigue. As soon as you think you know what will happen next, a new twist comes in to surprise you. The descriptive story allows you to close your eyes and imagine yourself back in time seeing the colorful surroundings and interacting with the vivid characters. I would definitely recommend giving this book a read.
September 21, 2022
This book is captivating. The author leads the reader into a medieval world beset with historical upheavals on every level, as seen from the thriving wool trade. Our guide is Newt, a young man with a gift for languages, whose adventures unfold in unpredictable ways. Newt’s forbidden romance with Aisha, a mathematical prodigy, is conducted against the historical clash of Catholic and Muslim Europe. I hope the author is writing a sequel.
May 22, 2024
The book is well researched. There is a lot of history about England, the wool industry, and the printing industry. I was disappointed as I thought the book was primarily going to be about Spain. Yes, parts of the book are about Spain, but not enough for me. For me, the book was like a slow moving non fiction read. I found it boring.
April 10, 2023
Schooley shows great skill in building a far-reaching, clever, and emotionally engaging historical plot that twines together characters who at first seem impossibly unrelated. These fully-developed characters step into his tale from across the medieval world. They come from England, Paris, Bruges, Granada, and elsewhere in the 15th century Nasrid kingdom of southern Spain.
Part of the fun of reading The Wool Translator is watching how Schooley will pull a French priest studying at the Universities of Paris into the same story as Newt, a linguistically-too-smart-for-his-own good English youngster. Then Schooley throws into the mix Aisha, a Muslim girl who is a mathematical prodigy. How on earth could these three ever cross paths? It’s masterfully done. Everything in their worlds is designed to keep them apart.
Being kept apart turns out to be the point when to the reader’s delight, the twisty plot brings Newt and Aisha together under the insufficiently alert eye of the French priest. The two brilliant young people, who do not fit comfortably into their respective worlds, turn out to find “home” in each other’s souls. That is not going to be a smooth road, but watching its bumps and dead ends is fascinating. This isn’t a romance, although there is a very determined pair who love each other at its core. There are multiple themes winding around the gradual development of this relationship and the determined way each of their families and society at large do everything they can to prevent these two unusual young people from finding settled happiness.
Will the world win or two brilliant, creative minds? In any case, each character grows and conquers so much that defining a win or a loss for them is a profound challenge, as Schooley reflects the fullness of nuances and complexities in these medieval lives.
Part of the fun of reading The Wool Translator is watching how Schooley will pull a French priest studying at the Universities of Paris into the same story as Newt, a linguistically-too-smart-for-his-own good English youngster. Then Schooley throws into the mix Aisha, a Muslim girl who is a mathematical prodigy. How on earth could these three ever cross paths? It’s masterfully done. Everything in their worlds is designed to keep them apart.
Being kept apart turns out to be the point when to the reader’s delight, the twisty plot brings Newt and Aisha together under the insufficiently alert eye of the French priest. The two brilliant young people, who do not fit comfortably into their respective worlds, turn out to find “home” in each other’s souls. That is not going to be a smooth road, but watching its bumps and dead ends is fascinating. This isn’t a romance, although there is a very determined pair who love each other at its core. There are multiple themes winding around the gradual development of this relationship and the determined way each of their families and society at large do everything they can to prevent these two unusual young people from finding settled happiness.
Will the world win or two brilliant, creative minds? In any case, each character grows and conquers so much that defining a win or a loss for them is a profound challenge, as Schooley reflects the fullness of nuances and complexities in these medieval lives.
February 15, 2025
The Wool Translator by Tim Schooley
I found a "touch of genius" as I fell into the words of "The wool Translator". Schooley's knowledge of Stamford, England during the 15th century was profound. I caught myself reading the story as though I were present in each scene. His creation of the characters I would deem as authentic and alive. I walked with them as I read.
His vocabulary use of unusual nouns and adjectives accented some sentences proficiently enough to grab the reader's attention with curiosity. The analogy of how God is seen in nature because of the unique and precise counting of flowers was brilliantly accented. This attention to detail confirmed how closely Muslins live near nature. His use of similes and metaphors was original and thought provoking. The iconic idea of a Muslin and Christian with such contrasting backgrounds bonding in unity is difficult to grasp, and so the reader is inspired to continue moving forward with excitement imagining the final fate. This novel, because of the era in time and deep insight into England's living conditions in the 15th century, would be difficult to read by any uninformed person, but Tim Schooley's writing genius and hard work make it possible for all to enjoy.
Carol Christine Smith
I found a "touch of genius" as I fell into the words of "The wool Translator". Schooley's knowledge of Stamford, England during the 15th century was profound. I caught myself reading the story as though I were present in each scene. His creation of the characters I would deem as authentic and alive. I walked with them as I read.
His vocabulary use of unusual nouns and adjectives accented some sentences proficiently enough to grab the reader's attention with curiosity. The analogy of how God is seen in nature because of the unique and precise counting of flowers was brilliantly accented. This attention to detail confirmed how closely Muslins live near nature. His use of similes and metaphors was original and thought provoking. The iconic idea of a Muslin and Christian with such contrasting backgrounds bonding in unity is difficult to grasp, and so the reader is inspired to continue moving forward with excitement imagining the final fate. This novel, because of the era in time and deep insight into England's living conditions in the 15th century, would be difficult to read by any uninformed person, but Tim Schooley's writing genius and hard work make it possible for all to enjoy.
Carol Christine Smith
February 17, 2023
"The only fool greater than a voluntary target for arrows is the fool who wanders into the field of war for love."
I am mentally struggling to catch my breath after reading the last line of this story only a few moments ago. I am sure that any book I read after this one will pale in comparison. The Wool Translator is an absolute work of art.
I was drawn into Tim Schooley's poetic style of writing from the very first line. He has crafted the most beautifully descriptive ancient scenery, and filled it with heart-breakingly memorable characters. From the student-turned-priest who openly berates his Maker, to the star crossed young lovers who will traverse the world to fight for their chance to be together, and all of the people they meet along the way. The Wool Translator is an epic tale of bravery, sacrifice, dedication and defeat. It is a glimpse into history through the eyes of hopeful youth and determined young adults. This story might follow the journey of Newt and Aisha, but it is so much more.
I am mentally struggling to catch my breath after reading the last line of this story only a few moments ago. I am sure that any book I read after this one will pale in comparison. The Wool Translator is an absolute work of art.
I was drawn into Tim Schooley's poetic style of writing from the very first line. He has crafted the most beautifully descriptive ancient scenery, and filled it with heart-breakingly memorable characters. From the student-turned-priest who openly berates his Maker, to the star crossed young lovers who will traverse the world to fight for their chance to be together, and all of the people they meet along the way. The Wool Translator is an epic tale of bravery, sacrifice, dedication and defeat. It is a glimpse into history through the eyes of hopeful youth and determined young adults. This story might follow the journey of Newt and Aisha, but it is so much more.
July 3, 2022
I was privileged to get to read a beta copy of this book over a year ago, and was hooked from the first chapters! I'm so excited that the final draft is now published and available to the public! My copy arrived today, and it's been such a pleasure to dive back into the worlds of Newt and Aisha. I love the realistic historical references, which really make you feel like you're existing with these characters back in the 1400s. Tim Schooley paints a vivid picture of the settings with his words, and develops the characters masterfully. This is a highly enjoyable read, and I can't put it down! Sequel, please!
August 18, 2022
This late 14th Century love story about two young people from different cultures engaged me. I could envision the place, the period, the atmosphere, the season. The characters were so well developed that I could see, hear, touch, feel, taste, and smell what Newt experienced. Such was the intensity of the character traits. Although set in the late 14rh Century, the theme is relevant today: forbidden love across cultures. It made me reflect on my own life of being “a stranger in a strange land,” and the ramifications it had on my own love life. The writing flowed and I found myself wanting to pull it out and reading it at stop signs. Highly recommend this gem of a book by Mr. Schooley.
September 4, 2022
Let Tim Schooley be your master guide through the Iberian Peninsula of the fifteenth century, in the final days of the Reconquista—the colliding cultures, the competing armies, the warring religions. Follow the bittersweet tale of two young lovers, held apart by family, religion, and circumstance. And then join in the call for a sequel, and that soon. “The Wool Translator” is an astonishing work of art and history. Read it.
February 9, 2023
Tim Schooley, in his debut novel, introduces the reader to two extraordinary talented children from two very different walks of life. The primary characters learn, sometimes painfully, what it takes to be a part of each of their respective communities. The author’s ability to masterfully include historical details gives the reader a chance to embrace what life must have been in fifteenth century Europe. A thoroughly enjoyable story that needs to be continued.
July 7, 2022
This is a book that does not disappoint. The main characters, Newt and Aisha, were well developed and relatable. I couldn't wait to see how their story would unfold, as they navigated love, war, and prejudice. Beautifully written and well paced, filled with interesting historical detail that only enhanced the story. I highly recommend this book for yourself or your book club.
August 29, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed The Wool Translator by Tim Schooley!
Loved the characters and their interactions, and what they show us of their cultures.
He cleverly weaves well-known history, popular fictional themes and plots into a fresh view of the times, and reminds us that we are amazingly alike in our hopes and fears, no matter our era.
Hoping for a sequel…
Loved the characters and their interactions, and what they show us of their cultures.
He cleverly weaves well-known history, popular fictional themes and plots into a fresh view of the times, and reminds us that we are amazingly alike in our hopes and fears, no matter our era.
Hoping for a sequel…
November 19, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. I love historical fiction and this one is rich in historical information. The author adeptly used his vast research to paint a vivid picture of the 1400's in England and Andalusia. The characters were developed beautifully and the tug and pull of their forbidden love moves the story along compellingly. I heartily recommend it!
July 4, 2022
I loved this book. It was meticulously researched and a fascinating glimpse into the 15th century, but the main draw is the beautiful relationship that develops over time between the two main characters. The book really draws you in, and I can’t wait for the sequel!
July 28, 2022
This book, set in 1400s Europe and England, is beautifully written by an author with broad historical knowledge. The character development is awesome, the events are thoroughly believable, and the book is a page turner from start to finish. I want a sequel!
February 7, 2023
I really enjoyed this novel and appreciate the detailed descriptions of the locations, the customs at that time and the unique journeys that brought the two main characters together. It made me want to go visit parts of Spain that I didn't realise had such a rich history.
September 14, 2024
I enjoyed parts of the story but others dragged on. The love story was not convincing and seemed forced. The ending was a complete let down. It seemed as though the author ran out of paper and just had to stop writing. I suppose it leaves room for a sequel but there was zero resolution.
August 2, 2022
The book is a well written and researched historical novel that transports the reader into 15th Century Europe. It's a love story and an intriguing adventure story and a great read!
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August 2, 2022History, love and adventure...great reading.
Am rooting for the wonderful characters in a sequel.
Am rooting for the wonderful characters in a sequel.
August 3, 2022
This love story set in the 1480-1490's is obviously well researched and very well written. It is still relevant and relatable today. Definitely a worthy read that I highly recommend.
February 8, 2023
This book captivated me from the first page. I just couldn’t put it down. I love historical fiction and the forbidden love of the characters within was completely engaging. I hope there is a sequel.
October 23, 2025
I loved the descriptions of the locations; much research must have gone into this. I got the feeling of being there. Gripping pace, especially at the end. I thought they would never get to find her. I won't spoil it but I want to know when the sequel comes out!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews