His only brother died, his mother was murdered, his sister was kidnapped, his wife committed adultery with their slave, and his girlfriend killed herself with their unborn baby. It was his mother who first discovered that his son had ‘an odor of sanctity’ because he claimed he had had a nightmare when he mother rushed to his room after hearing his cry, and he told her how Santa Fredegunda had visited him, while in fact the odor was the trace of a female slave’s cheap perfume who had fled the room after his refusal.Īlaric’s life was miserable. Alaric had a beautiful face like an angel, his voice rang like a bell, his body was surrounded by light, and his touch healed the sick and raised the dead but he himself thought he was an ordinary man because he couldn’t ran away from his carnal sins, he didn't have any faith, and that it was by love that he could ease the sick of the soul, and that the people believed what they wanted to believe. Set in the 9 th century of Spain, in span of about 30 years, the story centers around 'Alaric Teudisson', or 'Aizun ibn al Qutiyya' as the Moors called him, and his journey as the people around him believing he was a saint. I wouldn't mind reading more works from Mr. As soon as I could get used to his language, the story became very engaging. The Odor of Sanctity, A Novel of Medieval Moorish Spain (1965) is one of the best novels I have ever read. He lived in Spain since until his death in 1991. Later I found that he was an African American from Georgia who left America in 1955 in protest of some racial discrimination. I'd never heard of Frank Yerby before and bought the book after reading a list of recommended historical fictions at Amazon.Īt a glance, the language seemed difficult and I wondered if the author was not an English native.

An Odor of Sanctity by Frank Yerby