| 9780452288638 |
| (trade |
| pbk.) |
| : |
| 0452288630 |
Available:*
Library | Material Type | Call Number | Shelf Location | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Penrose Library | Book | ANTO | Fiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
The second novel in a dramatic trilogy set in eleventh-century France about the lives and loves of three daughters of the great Talmud scholar
The engrossing historical series of three sisters living in eleventh-century Troyes, France, continues with the tale of Miriam, the lively and daring middle child of Salomon ben Isaac, the great Talmudic authority. Having no sons, he teaches his daughters the intricacies of Mishnah and Gemara in an era when educating women in Jewish scholarship was unheard of. His middle daughter, Miriam, is determined to bring new life safely into the Troyes Jewish community and becomes a midwife. As devoted as she is to her chosen path, she cannot foresee the ways in which she will be tested and how heavily she will need to rely on her faith. With Rashi's Daughters , author Maggie Anton brings the Talmud and eleventh-century France to vivid life and poignantly captures the struggles and triumphs of strong Jewish women.
Author Notes
Maggie Anton was born Margaret Antonofsky in Los Angeles, California. Raised in a secular, socialist household, she reached adulthood with little knowledge of her Jewish religion. All that changed when David Parkhurst, who was to become her husband, entered her life, and they both discovered Judaism as adults. In the early 1990's, Anton began studying Talmud in a class for women taught by Rachel Adler, now a professor at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. She became intrigued with the idea that Rashi, one of the greatest Jewish scholars ever, had no sons, only three daughters. Slowly but surely, she began to research the family and the time in which they lived. Legend has it that Rashi's daughters were learned in a time when women were traditionally forbidden to study the sacred texts. These forgotten women seemed ripe for rediscovery, and the idea of a book about them was born.
Reviews (1)
Library Journal Review
After opening her trilogy on renowned Talmud scholar Rashi's three daughters with the successful debut novel Rashi's Daughters, Book 1: Johevev, Anton delivers a tour de force with this second book. Here, the headstrong determination of middle daughter Miriam enables her to face head-on the many challenges endured by women of the 11th century, even if it does pose a problem for her father. Anton draws readers into life, love, and Talmud in medieval France, and her extensive research into this time period shows in her deft portrait of what life might have been like for the young daughter of a Jewish scholar. Readers will be fascinated as Miriam is appointed the community's midwife and will grimace as she decides to become a mohel, or ritual circumciser. They will fly through the nearly 500 pages and come away wishing for more. This fresh approach to historical fiction is recommended for all public libraries, especially those serving a large Jewish population; a study guide is available online. [Anton's third novel in the trilogy will center on Rashi's youngest daughter, Rachel.-Ed.]-Marika Zemke, Commerce Twp. Community Lib., MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
