The Physician

The Cole Trilogy (Gordon) 1

An orphan leaves Dark Ages London, taking a dangerous journey and posing as a Jew to study medicine in Persia, in "an adventurous and inspiring tale" (Library Journal).

A child holds the hand of his dying mother and is terrified, aware something is taking her. Orphaned and given to an itinerant barber-surgeon, Rob Cole becomes a fast-talking swindler, peddling a worthless medicine. But as he matures, his strange gift - an acute sensitivity to impending death - never leaves him, and he yearns to become a healer.

Arab madrassas are the only authentic medical schools, and he makes his perilous way to Persia. Christians are barred from Muslim schools, but claiming he is a Jew, he studies under the world's most renowned physician, Avicenna. How the woman who is his great love struggles against her only rival - medicine - makes a riveting modern classic.

The Physician is the first book in New York Times best-selling author Noah Gordon's Dr. Robert Cole trilogy, which continues with Shaman and concludes with Matters of Choice.

©1986 Lise Gordon, Michael Seay Gordon and The Jamie Gordon Trust (P)2024 Audible Ltd.

The pronunciation of Hebrew words is painfully awful

The Hebrew pronunciation is inconsistent, word and names alike. Sometimes it’s passable but mostly not even that. Good story though

Beautiful

I loved this story. I felt I was there. I now feel the need to find another.

Wonderful book

It is very important beautiful book, that takes us to the 11th century around Europe and the Persia

Wonderful

I'm stingy with five star reviews but this deserves it. Fantastic historical fiction. Narrator was flawless.

Concept of taking on a new persona to reach a goal amid multiple obstacles in different cultures and languages.

Sad reminder of how little women are valued or respected throughout the ages. How small and limited their worlds were.