The Phoenix Bride by Natasha Siegel (Solomon's Crown) is an emotional tale of star-crossed lovers. Overcome with grief after her husband dies from the plague, Cecilia is hidden away in her sister Margaret's London townhouse. Staunchly Protestant Margaret, desperate to cure her sister, turns to a Jewish doctor as a last resort. David Mendes emigrated to London when the ban on Jews was lifted, abandoning his life as a crypto-Jew in Portugal. He still faces antisemitism, and he isn't even sure how he feels about religion, especially as a bisexual man. David and Cecilia live in very different worlds, despite inhabiting the same city, but neither can deny the strong attraction growing between them. Ironically--and tragically--Cecilia's desire to try to live happily again is inspired by someone she can never legitimately be with, and David's heart thaws for someone whose powerful family could destroy him.
Siegel vibrantly portrays the protagonists' intimate lives against the backdrop of a gorgeously textured early modern London. Details include the return of the monarchy, the novelty of coffeehouses, molly houses where gay men could meet, and the shoulder-rubbing of gentility and common folk in the newly renovated St. James's Park. Siegel deftly balances the bleak reality of antisemitism and genteel women's restrictions with the romantic prospect of a happily-ever-after, leaving readers hoping against hope that Cecilia and David can defy society's prejudices. Without resorting to anachronism, Siegel also depicts mental illness with sensitivity through David's innovative methods of treating mind and body together. Strong characters and powerful emotions will keep readers breathless until the last satisfying pages. --Dainy Bernstein, postdoc in children's literature, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign