Jerusalem Maiden

Mar 23, 2011 Caryl Mcadoo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Blessed with the privilege to read JERUSALEM MAIDEN by Talia Carner prior to its Harper Collins release this coming June, I simply cannot contain my enthusiasm to review it.

Esther, the Jerusalem maiden, captures her readers with her innocence and ushers us right into experiencing life in early 1900 Jerusalem. We grow with her, empathize with her doubt and devotion, and urge her to make right decisions as we swiftly turn pages to see what comes next. It seems not one thought is left untold. As...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Dora Mossanen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Let me begin by saying that when I finished reading the engrossing Jerusalem Maiden by Talia Carner (Harper Collins, $14.99), two thoughts flashed through my mind. First, that the inevitable ending was quite satisfying! And, second, that a number of the ancient cultural and religious rituals and practices among the ultra Orthodox Charedi Jews in Jerusalem at the onset of the twentieth century are still being followed, and not just by Charedim. I remember my own grandmother cracking one egg after...more Let me begin by saying that when I finished reading the engrossing Jerusalem Maiden by Talia Carner (Harper Collins, $14.99), two thoughts flashed through my mind. First, that the inevitable ending was quite satisfying! And, second, that a number of the ancient cultural and religious rituals and practices among the ultra Orthodox Charedi Jews in Jerusalem at the onset of the twentieth century are still being followed, and not just by Charedim. I remember my own grandmother cracking one egg after another to search "its clear part for a red vein of fertilization that would render it impure." A practice I continue to follow. I remember my father reciting "Woman of Valor" from the Book of Proverbs to my mother on Erev Shabbat, as does Aba in "Jerusalem Maiden." I also remember that despite my own joy at giving birth to two beautiful daughters, to say that my mother-in-law was less than pleased would be an understatement. Not until I read the richly detailed Jerusalem Maiden did I realize that the Talmud, Kiddushin decrees: "Happy the man whose children are boys and woe to him if they are girls."

Jerusalem of 1911, at the end of the rule of the Ottoman Empire, was a mixture of isolated individuals -- Arabs, Charedim, Zionists, Chassidim and even a few Parisians -- with such conflicting religious and cultural beliefs you might think they lived on different planets. The animosity between Jews and Arabs is well documented, perhaps not so the resentment of Orthodox Jews toward the "brash" Zionists for fighting, for drying swamplands and for planning vineyards, instead of "waiting for the Messiah to bring salvation." Zionist women were disliked for their slack ways, their lack of respect to men, for speaking up in mixed company. Jerusalem was a miserable place for conservative Charedi women, yet, accustomed to familial and financial struggles, to the laws of the book and of the land, most of these women did not consider their lives that miserable. Working hard and bearing sons was a small price to hasten the arrival of the Messiah.

But the talented Esther Kaminsky, who has the courage and insolence to paint, a forbidden act, refuses to accept this life. Nor will Esther's Parisian teacher, Mlle Thibaux, who recognizes Esther's exceptional talent and does everything in her power to nurture it. But despite Esther's love and respect for her liberal teacher, "None of Mlle Thibaux's arguments carried weight with God." When Esther's God strikes her family with one misfortune after another, certain she is punished for the grave sin of "drawing Hashem's image," she sacrifices her dream, steps on her overwhelming desire to paint and swears to stop creating art.

After a short reprieve from misfortune, Esther allows herself to believe again, believe that her sins might not have brought "Sodom-and-Gomorrah-like wrath" after all, and it would be safe to leave her three children with her sister and join her husband in Europe. But once in the city of lights, the lure of Paris proves irresistible. Esther ignores her husband's letters to return home. Relishing her newfound sense of freedom among a community of Avant-garde artists, she allows her passions free rein, cuts her hair short, wears fashionable clothes, picks up her brushes and paints again. Perhaps Hashem intended her to be an artist, after all, she reasons. This is why He facilitated her journey to Paris and guided Mlle Thibaux and her son, Pierre, back into her life -- the goy sculptor Pierre, who is unfortunate enough to fall in love with a "woman who would be forever claimed and reclaimed from me by her God." The story gathers speed when Esther experiences a short period of happiness as a vibrant woman and an artist. But her wrathful God strikes again. This time more forcefully. The devastated Esther is certain that her sinful conduct in Paris instigated this last tragedy. But why would God punish an "innocent bystander for her sins!"

The main thread running through the story is Esther's continued struggle with her deep-rooted guilt and with God -- the story's main protagonist -- and the ongoing clash between her sense of responsibility to her religious mores on one hand and to her passions and desires on the other. Esther's tumultuous journey leads the reader to 1968 and back to Paris and to the gripping epilogue. We care for Esther. We pray that the older woman has learned to make peace with her God.(less)

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Jan 02, 2013 Angie Mangino rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jerusalem Maiden
By Talia Carner
2011
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars

Wow!

It is not often that this reviewer finds a book where just one word can sum up the review, but Jerusalem Maiden is just such a book.
Talia Carner writes a literate, compelling story that reaches readers on so many levels.

Intimately following Esther’s life, from September 1911 as an 11-year-old girl until December 1924 as a 25-year-old woman, readers will immediately connect to Esther. The author’s writing is impeccab...more

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Jan 20, 2012 ruzmarì rated it 4 of 5 stars

The experience of reading Talia Carner's debut novel is a whirlwind in which hope, expectation, thrill, solemnity, and heartbreak vie for pride of place. Her heroine, narrator Esther Kaminsky, is one of the Haredi – ultra-orthodox Jews who believe themselves "the chosen of the Chosen." The novel is set mainly in Jerusalem in the early years of the twentieth century, a time when the Ottoman Empire was crumbling and Jews and Arabs struggled to maintain a difficult balance as power shifted. Abuses...more The experience of reading Talia Carner's debut novel is a whirlwind in which hope, expectation, thrill, solemnity, and heartbreak vie for pride of place. Her heroine, narrator Esther Kaminsky, is one of the Haredi – ultra-orthodox Jews who believe themselves "the chosen of the Chosen." The novel is set mainly in Jerusalem in the early years of the twentieth century, a time when the Ottoman Empire was crumbling and Jews and Arabs struggled to maintain a difficult balance as power shifted. Abuses are rampant – one of the first scenes of the novel shows Esther beaten and assaulted by a spice-merchant in the souk that is forbidden to Haredi, to Haredi women especially. The ensuing mixture of personal and cultural shame and family ruin is one that haunts the novel as a whole, this early scene serving as a microtext for the complications and conflicts that will force Esther into an ultimate choice of sacrifice at the expense of her own creative spirit and self-expression.

Esther is a talented artist, and according to Haredi law, visual art is forbidden as it creates idols, representing the image of God. Esther debates with herself on this question, struggling with the conflict of inspiration versus interdiction. If she paints, is she not responding to God's gift to her, His call? Or is she rather interpreting for selfish purposes an "urge" that distracts her from her true destiny as one of the Chosen people? Throughout her childhood and adolescence (a period cut far too short by her mother's tragic death and her taking over the responsibilities as home-maker for her family), Esther creates in secret, marvelling at what God has inspired her to do – and marvelling at her own brazenness in flauting Haredi rules and codes for female behavior. As she juggles the life of an artist with that of a Jerusalem maiden, she paints for us in words a rich cast of characters, all with their own shadings and complexities : Ruthi, her best friend from childhood, who does not dare go against Haredi decrees and ends up married to a (conveniently ugly) abuser; Asher, Esther's cousin, who himself lives with the knowledge of his own gift from God in the form of music, who inspires Esther to take artistic risks and offers her a paradoxically orthodox way out of the constraints that bind them both; Mlle Thibaux, the teacher from Esther's European-model school, who welcomes the harsh young prodigy into her home and shows her a different way of living both femininity and art; and Pierre, Mlle Thibaux's son, himself a painter and sculptor, who sparks Esther's desire for things she cannot name but which she knows are forbidden. And there is Nathan, the good man whom Esther's father tricks her into marrying.

The most passionate part of the novel comes when Esther travels to Paris, where she constructs an independent artistic life for herself. She reconnects with Mlle Thibaux (and with Pierre), leaving behind the frayed end of a family life that never did suit her and in which she is treated as a secondary character by husband, in-laws, and children alike. In Paris, she discovers her true vocation, and connects with her own true desires as a sexual body. She divests herself of shame and opens her eyes to alternative ways of experiencing sacrality, outside the limitations other people (men and women) have imposed on her. This section is the most vividly and energetically written, and it is clear that Carner spent time in this very Paris, the Paris of artists and exiles and outcasts who find each other mysteriously and create new communities – for this Paris is the same now as in the 1920s when Esther discovers it. Sadly, though evocative and beautiful, the Jerusalem sections of the novel do not possess this same realism, this same "I can see it"-ness. (Perhaps because today's Jerusalem, in which Carner would have done her research, is simply so far removed from the city she tries to depict in the beginning of the last century, a city of untold holiness and poverty? Jaffa, where Esther goes after marrying Nathan, is much more realistic and palpable in this way.) The descriptions of Esther's Shabbat preparations are by turns mouth-watering and awe-inspiring; they make you want to go light candles and touch the crawling-forward evening as something sacred.

If the novel holds frustrating qualities, they are in the believability of Esther's story – the story of a woman torn between art and duty, independence and tradition. She decides for the one and then the other, in a quibblingly repetitious way, and it takes the novel's coda (printed, unfathomably, in a different, supposedly "more modern"?, font that is hard on the reader's eyes) to bring Esther's passion back to the surface and reveal a happier end to her story. This is a narrative gimmick, but it's a welcome one, as it shows continuity of personality and passion, which the last scene of the Paris chapter literally destroys. Talia Carner makes a great point, in the character of Esther, that traditional social constructs do not leave room for art in a woman's life. It takes a unique character to step outside those bounds and let God move through the hands, in creation.
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Dec 20, 2011 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, judaism, kindle, middle-east, owned, review-copies

I recently read an ARC copy of Jerusalem Maiden. It tells the story of Esther, born into a very Orthodox Jewish community in Israel in the dying days of the Ottoman Empire. Growing up in poverty, she is taught that as a Jewish girl in the Holy City, it is her role and responsibility to marry an Orthodox man and hasten the coming of the Messiah by having as many children as possible. Esther struggles against these expectations and also against the commandment not to make idols as she is a talente...more I recently read an ARC copy of Jerusalem Maiden. It tells the story of Esther, born into a very Orthodox Jewish community in Israel in the dying days of the Ottoman Empire. Growing up in poverty, she is taught that as a Jewish girl in the Holy City, it is her role and responsibility to marry an Orthodox man and hasten the coming of the Messiah by having as many children as possible. Esther struggles against these expectations and also against the commandment not to make idols as she is a talented artist. Spanning several decades and historical changes, Jerusalem Maiden follows Esther through her attempts to break free from convention and live according to her wishes rather than responsibilities.

I enjoyed this book; Carner is a talented writer and her descriptions of the locations in the book (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Paris) were very vivid and I had to remind myself of where I actually was when I put the book down. As I find religion fascinating, I loved the parts dealing with her childhood and community and felt that it was done very well - informative but not over the top. Carner had also obviously completed extensive research about her era and setting as everything just felt right, like being transported back in time.

Esther was a great main character in that she was easy to sympathise with. She was engaged in a constant push-and-pull with her religion; as soon as the desire to escape became overwhelming and she actually left her community, the fear and obligations would pull her back. She couldn't truly be happy anywhere. However, some of Esther's thoughts seemed a bit modern for the historical setting of the book, especially with regard to her children and sex. I know that Esther had a somewhat radical art teacher as a child, but it was hard for me personally to imagine someone with such a sheltered and conservative upbringing having such liberal, up-to-date thoughts.

The relationships in the book were well written. Although it was soon clear who Esther wanted to be with (Pierre, not Jewish), I liked that Carner didn't take the easy way out by making her husband unlikeable. He just came across as a nice man who couldn't understand his wife and her desires. I also liked how the romance was a large part of the book, but didn't dominate it - it was mainly about Esther and her struggle to find her own way.

Overall, well worth a read. It reminded me of The Historian in that the setting was just as important as the characters and I was left with an urge to visit Jerusalem and go back in time to pre-WW2 Paris.
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Oct 30, 2011 Jessica at Book Sake rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jerusalem Maiden is the third book in a row that I have read that deals with a strong female protagonist. I may be running out of nice things to say about these women and their strength, but I have to say that this story deserves praise. It also happens to be the second story of a female leader set in Israel, but this story is set in more modern times, just after the turn of the century. With that being said the story of these people, the Haredi was really fascinating, and a side of Judaism that...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Michelle LaPointe rated it 2 of 5 stars

I found this book too short - in that the characters and story could have been further developed. Although we read and hear Esther's internal struggle I found very little rebellion in this book which reduces the tension of the narrative and makes for a less compelling story. I fel t like the book was three novellas, rather than one unified novel - and I don't like short stories and novellas! In each section was almost a different person - which makes sense in that these are very different times...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Deb rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is my favorite novel so far this year. The story of Esther, a Haredi Jewess growing up in the last years of Ottoman Empire Jerusalem is an affecting one, to say the least. Esther's family is so ultra Orthodox that the only purpose for a girl's life to to marry at twelve or thirteen and to produce as many children as possible to grow the population of the Chosen Ones. Esther, however, is a talented artist in a community which believes that art is "graven images." Esther is able to steal some...more

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May 30, 2011 Lydia Presley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, historic-fiction, fiction

Jerusalem Maiden was not at all what I expected. I think after reading some fairly heavy Jewish stories in the last year I was expecting another similar to those, but instead got a very approachable, easy to read story about a young Jewish girl pre-WWI.

This isn't a bad thing though. I'm familiar with some Jewish traditions and rituals, but this book took them all to a new level with the strictness Esther and her family lived by those rules. Just being kosher wasn't even - but being raised, as a...more

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May 18, 2011 Fran rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jerusalem Maiden: Author Talia Carner

Reviewed by Fran Lewis
Caught in a web of traditions, customs and family obligations Esther Kaminsky is torn between adhering to the stringent rules of an orthodox Jewish woman’s life or pursuing her passion, her talent for creating pictures using her artistic skills, Following her dreams was not an option during the Ottoman Empire. Marriage, children and adhering to the prospects of your God and religion expected. Close friends forever, Esther and Ruthi often...more

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May 12, 2011 Jonathan Brett rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

It’s rare to find a book where you want to find out how the story ends, but you hold yourself back because you don’t want to leave the world the author has created. Jerusalem Maiden is just such story.
When the novel begins, Esther Kaminsky is living Jerusalem during the last days of the Ottoman Empire. She is one of several children, and she is fixing to come of age and be married off so that she have children and usher in The Messiah. Esther has a longing to become an artist, but she is torn be...more

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Mar 11, 2011 Jessi Adams rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'll first start by saying that I received this book as early-review copy from the publisher. The publisher may still make corrections between now and when the book is released in June. My review also contains information that might be considered a plot spoiler (although I don't really think so.)

Jerusalem Maiden is a story of a young, ultra-orthodox Jewish woman in the beginning of the 1900's. Forbidden to paint by her religion, she goes through religious and emotional turmoil because of it. The...more I'll first start by saying that I received this book as early-review copy from the publisher. The publisher may still make corrections between now and when the book is released in June. My review also contains information that might be considered a plot spoiler (although I don't really think so.)

Jerusalem Maiden is a story of a young, ultra-orthodox Jewish woman in the beginning of the 1900's. Forbidden to paint by her religion, she goes through religious and emotional turmoil because of it. The book follows her life as she is married off at a young age to a man her family scorns, but viewing her as damaged goods anyway, it matters little to them. Eventually (but not until well after 75% of the book) she travels to Paris, meets her childhood painting instructor, and tries to confront the big questions about who she is.

When you describe it that way, it sounds like a pretty good book. In reality, I found it to be infuriating. The main character, Ester, lives the entire book inside her head, which is a confusing place to be, to say the least. I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that most of the readers of this book are not going to be overly familiar with Orthodox Jewish beliefs and customs, I'm certainly not. In the book, the main character spends a lot of time agonizing about a belief system which is only explained in bits and pieces. This makes the story a little difficult to connect with.

If that wasn't bad enough, you have to follow her back and forth, pingponging logic about her religious beliefs. She paints, then feels guilty about painting, then tragedy strikes. In her mind, the misbehavior directly caused God to punish her with family tragedy. Some time goes by, and her family wants her to marry. She doesn't want to marry, so of couse when something else happens, then that is also punishment for her supposed sin of not wanting to get married.

This continues in a predictable way throughout the book. Her less than perfect relationship with her daughter must be punishment for not wanting to get married and have children in the first place. Her husband's distance is punishment for having an orgasm, and so on and so forth.

The only time when her thought process changes is when she goes to Paris toward the end of the novel. At that point, it does a complete 180. Almost overnight she changes to the belief that God wants her to be happy in Paris, with new clothes, a new boyfriend, and free of her husband and children. I actually found her to be more real and sympathetic in the last leg of the book, and was disappointed that it took so long for me to care. I would have liked to know what she was experiencing after she eventually returned home to her husband and children, but that information is only glanced at, second-hand in the epilogue.

Overall, I'd skip this one(less)

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Oct 27, 2011 Sue rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: jewish-themes

Based on the title & the cover picture, I assumed this would be a predictable potboiler of a novel. I picked it up from our synagogue library out of curiosity but didn't necessarily intend to read it. To my surprise, it's a rich & nuanced story, apparently inspired by the author's grandmother, & by what she did & did not do in her life (see below). The story is set in what later became Israel, in the years around World War I.

[From the author: In my Grandmother Esther, whose cook...more

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Apr 24, 2011 Holly Weiss rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-release, to-review

Can a woman’s desire to become an artist in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish culture of 1911 come true?

Having a voice or form of self-expression is a constant struggle for feisty Esther living in the midst of a repressive society. The Haredi community of Jerusalem Maiden allows no independence for women apart from their fathers or husbands. Women are expected to bear children, cook, do laundry and be obedient. Esther anticipates a life of marrying young and having many sons to hasten the arrival of th...more Can a woman’s desire to become an artist in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish culture of 1911 come true?

Having a voice or form of self-expression is a constant struggle for feisty Esther living in the midst of a repressive society. The Haredi community of Jerusalem Maiden allows no independence for women apart from their fathers or husbands. Women are expected to bear children, cook, do laundry and be obedient. Esther anticipates a life of marrying young and having many sons to hasten the arrival of the Messiah. When she discovers her artistic talent, she feels duty bound to suppress it in order to follow God’s path as dictated by her religious leaders.

Award winning author, Talia Carter, formerly the publisher of Savvy Woman Magazine, is the author of Puppet Child and China Doll. Ms. Carter is a voice for social issues such as domestic violence and infanticide in China.

The book is an excellent mirror of Orthodox Jewish culture in the early twentieth century. Descriptive images abound: fried Shabbat challah sprinkled with sugar, squawking chickens hanging by their feet in the market, hair coated with olive oil then draped over the ears in a braid.

Esther struggles throughout the book with her desire to be an artist and the demands placed upon women by the religious community. Her teacher claims art sets a person free. “But that was reserved only for those free to paint in the first place. Why was God making His gift so hard to carry out?” Esther’s guilt pangs increase when she falls in love outside with someone outside of her religious community.

Esther’s doubts and devotion are a constant struggle for her. Although Jerusalem Maiden assumes a reader’s understanding of ultra-Orthodox Jewish beliefs, its message is universal for those repressed by society, religious order, or self-induced guilt.

LibraryThing and Harper Collins supplied the advance review copy. The opinions expressed are unbiased and wholly that of the reviewer.

Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont (less)

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Feb 18, 2012 Shelley rated it 2 of 5 stars

There is noting life changing or profound about this book, but I have enjoyed learning about life for the ultra orthodox jews in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Maiden of this book carriers, in every action, the weight of bringing the Messiah back. Even Hassidic Jews find them extreme.

This book fell prey to a trend that is becoming a pet peeve. Why must every character go through a sexual revolution to find their true identity. Ester lives a life of such secluded modesty, that she manages to not speak...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Carolyn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, religious

Meh. Another journey in the "feisty girl in an oppressive culture" trope. We start off in 1911 Jerusalem, where everything is disgustingly cramped and vermin-infested. The character's family is obsessed with spiritual purity, like all good ultra-orthodox Jews, so dwelling on the physical filth of their surroundings feels like it is supposed to be some kind of commentary on the pointlessness of their actions, even though something like 90% of urban people lived in the same kind of conditions at t...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Kimberly Bower rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

JERUSALEM MAIDEN by Talia Carner: Esther Kaminsky, a young girl living in an ultra orthodox Jewish community, is always questioning her Abba about life, family and religion. In spite of her mother's admonition that Esther has no need of such information her father indulges her. Her mother insists (and father quietly agrees) that Esther's role in hastening the Messiah's return will be through her submission to the man her father chooses as her husband. God, a harsh taskmaster, insists that Esther...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

SusanI have a few problems with the novel. This book reminded me of Loving Frank. If you read that, it was similar. I liked the story, but thought what woman would leave her children to persue her passion. I am not sure, but I wouldn't.

My other problem was that she was always saying to herself, it is g-ds plan.

I have a problem with this, I am Jewish, since I was growing up every rabbi, that I have known. Have taught us that you just don't take it, it is your choice to make decisions. You don't...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Lorri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: israel-fiction, novels, personally-own, jewish-fiction, inspiration

If you want to read about the conflicting emotions and the conflicting train of thought that divides and/or represses women of the Ultra-Orthodox faith, then Jerusalem Maiden, by Talia Carner is the book for you.

The main character is Esther Kaminsky, and her story begins in Jerusalem in 1911, a time when the Ottoman Empire was nearing the end of its rule. She is a multifaceted character, and her beliefs in G-d and conforming to those beliefs often are at odds. She is often torn between faith and...more If you want to read about the conflicting emotions and the conflicting train of thought that divides and/or represses women of the Ultra-Orthodox faith, then Jerusalem Maiden, by Talia Carner is the book for you.

The main character is Esther Kaminsky, and her story begins in Jerusalem in 1911, a time when the Ottoman Empire was nearing the end of its rule. She is a multifaceted character, and her beliefs in G-d and conforming to those beliefs often are at odds. She is often torn between faith and her creative desires.

Her French teacher sees the artistic potential in young Esther, and fosters her artistic and creative outlet by giving her colored pencils, paper and verbal encouragement. This enhances the passion that Esther has for artistic expression, and makes her consider whether she can be an artist within her Ultra-Orthodox environment.

Destiny plays an important role in the book, both religiously and also through creative desire. The tapestry of destiny is woven within the pages as Esther struggles to find relief and contentment within the Ultra-Orthodox world, and within the world of not only religious truth, but being true to one’s self, to one’s steadfast creative desires and needs. Esther has many questions to ponder and to find the answers to.

Is it a Jewish woman’s destiny to be a mother? Is her worldly path one that is predetermined? Can a Jewish woman be destined for artistic expression as a painter? Can a Jewish woman travel to foreign lands in order to pursue her artistic passion? Can a Jewish woman work outside the home in an occupation not suited to marriage? Must an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman marry? Must a Jewish woman marry and support her husband’s pursuit of Torah?

These are just a few of the questions that Esther considers on her life’s journey. To go into detail of her struggles and the paths she walks would be to give away too much of the content within the pages of Jerusalem Maiden.

Can religion and becoming an artist coincide? Read the book and find out.

I enjoyed the Jeruslaem Maiden, by Talia Carner, and recommend it to everyone, no matter their religion.

Thank you to the publisher, Harper Collins, for the review copy of Jerusalem Maiden.(less)

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Nov 02, 2011 Sherry H rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Oh, how I love a book that introduces me to a new culture.

In this case, it is the ultra-orthodox Jewish culture of Jerusalem in the first decades of the 20th century. I had previously not understood the term "Haredi". These ultra-orthodox, conservative Jewish women are characterized by extreme modesty in dress, humility, and strict adherence to a set of religious laws surrounding conduct.

With this as the background culture/setting, the reader is introduced to Esther as a 12-year old Jerusalem...more Oh, how I love a book that introduces me to a new culture.

In this case, it is the ultra-orthodox Jewish culture of Jerusalem in the first decades of the 20th century. I had previously not understood the term "Haredi". These ultra-orthodox, conservative Jewish women are characterized by extreme modesty in dress, humility, and strict adherence to a set of religious laws surrounding conduct.

With this as the background culture/setting, the reader is introduced to Esther as a 12-year old Jerusalem maiden . Esther's talent for drawing and painting is a challenge to her: she longs to develop her talent, but the strict rules of her Jewish culture specifically prohibit her from pursuing this talent. She does not know whether this talent is a gift from God or a temptation sent by Satan. The juxtaposition of her talent and her strict faith creates the conflict that permeates the novel as Esther becomes an adult.

I don't want to give anything away; I'll just say that her small choices to step outside the strict guidelines of her faith, to pursue art over faith, have an avalanche of consequences.

This author writes like an artist; I was amazed at her ability to show me a work of art through the beautiful descriptions she provided.

This is not a feel-good novel, though; not a simple, sweet story with a happy ending. These women did not pursue their own happiness; they lived their lives fulfilling their obligations: marrying men chosen by their fathers, raising many children in the faith, doing their part to hasten the arrival of the Messiah. The tragedy and sorrow presented here suit the culture.

I have two criticisms to offer: first, that the sexual content was a bit strong. I would have loved to share this novel with my teenaged daughter, because it presents some beautiful lessons, but a few sections caused it to be R-rated. I understood it: the discovery, the confusion, the joy and sorrow that came with those experiences were lessons, as well, but it drastically changed the audience that has access to this lovely novel. My second criticism was that it was too short; I wanted more - a few details could have been better explained early on (why was a Haredi Jewish maiden allowed to pursue French lessons and then art lessons with that particular teacher?), and I would have liked to see more development in her early marriage. Esther is a great character; I would have loved more, more more.

I am very grateful to have won a copy of Jerusalem Maiden in a GoodReads FirstReads giveaway.
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May 31, 2011 Suzanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

“In this stolen hour at Mademoiselle Thibaux’s dining-room table, she could draw without being scolded for committing the sin of idleness, God forbid.”

The novel opens in the year 1911 in Jerusalem. Our heroine, Esther, is a young Jewish girl, being raised in an ultra-orthodox home, and she is nearing the time when she must marry and fulfill the destiny as laid out by her faith and her culture. Except, Esther has a rare gift for painting. She longs to see the world, focus on her art and above a...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Audra (Unabridged Chick) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cultural-confusion, era-wwii, era-wwi, heroine-amazing, historicals, mood-bittersweet, mood-evocative, place-as-character, place-israel, place-france, skeletons-in-the-closet

Having just finished this book, I'm still flailing (internally) and sort of waving my arms because I'm so caught up in the bittersweet ending and the story of the characters. This was a beautiful, moving novel.

The setting of this book was wholly alien to me and yet Carner's writing and brilliantly conceived characters plunged me into the story and Esther's world. Esther might be one of the most moving and compelling heroines I've read in a long time: her complicated relationship with her faith,...more

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Nov 19, 2011 Mariana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Mariana by: Beautifulguyana

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Jerusalem Maiden was a book chosen by a friend for a book club reading.

The book is the coming of age story of Esther Kaminsky. She is a young Haredi girl, a Jerusalem Maiden; who's life is pre-ordained, because she is one of the Chosen by Hashem to help in the bringing of the Messiah and the help of the entire Jewish nation. The laws governing the Haredi are extremely strict: no images can be reproduced, no music, no dancing... There are laws to govern all. Her primary "job" as a Jewess is to g...more Jerusalem Maiden was a book chosen by a friend for a book club reading.

The book is the coming of age story of Esther Kaminsky. She is a young Haredi girl, a Jerusalem Maiden; who's life is pre-ordained, because she is one of the Chosen by Hashem to help in the bringing of the Messiah and the help of the entire Jewish nation. The laws governing the Haredi are extremely strict: no images can be reproduced, no music, no dancing... There are laws to govern all. Her primary "job" as a Jewess is to get married, produce children and work to support her husbands yeshiva study. This is non-negotiable.

The book begins with Esther in her French teacher's home, where she's learning Art. Her struggle to be the self she wants to be and the self that society (or her klal) wants her to be are the very first paragraphs of this book. We first see her as a young girl with a gift of art. She is learning of color and the combination of different colors to make new, different and more rich colors. She is drawing a gecko, but knows that there are laws that forbid the drawing of Hashem's creatures. She is committing a sin by drawing this gecko. This is the set up of Esther's life. The fight between what is in her heart and the religion is she is born under.

Her life is extremely difficult and the choices she makes, make life that much more difficult. Very early on she recognizes her "calling" to be an artist, but this conflicts with what she understands her role in life to be. Esther, to me, was extremely difficult to like. She is by turns, convinced of this calling to be an artist (and she is an extremely gifted artist); and will switch in a heartbeat to the laws governing what a Haredi girl should be. She never makes a decision for herself. She is constantly waiting for Hashem to speak to her through "signs". Except that she is capricious in what she thinks these "signs" are, or what they mean.

She stands in her own way all the time. There are those that are willing to help her, but she is contrary to everyone. If the person is asking to help her be an artist, she wants only to be a Haredi girl. If they want her to be a Haredi girl, she wants to be an artist. She makes a decision to escape, a "sign" will appear and she must stay. She makes decision to stay, a "sign" will appear and she must go. She was extremely frustrating to me to sympathize for her. There were moments that were difficult, and being a parent and a woman, I can understand. There were more moments, however, that I simply did not like her.

I can never speak to the religious pressure she was under. There are, however, expectations that we all are born into. There are expectations that all parents have for their children; that society has for it's people and for their women. I also can't speak to having this gift of a calling (this Primordial Light) that Esther had. But there are things about myself that are true no matter what. I found her to be so different to me, that I felt no common bond with her. As women we all struggle with choices about what is best for us and how will we fit into society. I feel, however, that we must make the decision. We must choose the path we want to take. As hard as it may be, waiting for someone to guide you, or make decisions for you seems self defeating. I could not respect the choices made by Esther.

I felt most touched by Ruthi (and most saddened by her ending).

This was a frustrating read for me. I felt bad for everyone, and helpless about the life the Haredi women have to lead, but then this is their religion. How can you feel bad for that? Faith is difficult and I shouldn't judge someone else's faith; however, I found it foreign and sad. It is a thought provoking book. I just wish I had connected more to Esther.
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Jul 14, 2011 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, historical-fiction

I love the writing style of the author, the story was extremely interesting and I learned so much about Haredi Judaism during that time period. The writing seemed slow at the beginning but my interest in the main character, Esther Kaminsky kept me turning the pages. I was entranced from the first page.

When the story opens, Esther is a young girl living in Jerusalem in the most conservative of ultra-orthodox communities of Haredi Judaism in 1911. The book’s dedication is to another Esther, the gr...more I love the writing style of the author, the story was extremely interesting and I learned so much about Haredi Judaism during that time period. The writing seemed slow at the beginning but my interest in the main character, Esther Kaminsky kept me turning the pages. I was entranced from the first page.

When the story opens, Esther is a young girl living in Jerusalem in the most conservative of ultra-orthodox communities of Haredi Judaism in 1911. The book’s dedication is to another Esther, the grandmother of the author. When I finished this book I was so full of questions. So I searched for an interview with the author and found an excellent on Blog Talk Radio. I highly recommend listening to that interview after reading the book because you may have nagging questions too.

Esther was supposed to marry young and bear children, nothing else. There is quite a bit of suffering in the book but the women were supposed to bare it because accepting the sorrow and bad living conditions was supposed to bring the Messiah sooner.

But Esther had a talent that was forbidden to be used in Haredi Judaism. It all depends on how the Second Commandment is interpreted. This is a very controversial commandment if you research it.

Esther’s talent provides one of the biggest conflicts for her. Should she remain to true to God as seen through her upbringing or give in to her yearning to be an artist? Esther is constantly struggling, and just when you then she had made a decision, something happens and she is thrown back into her turmoil.

This book is extremely well researched and although I knew something about Judaic traditions, I did not know anything about Haredi Judaism traditions or particular religious beliefs. You could taste the food prepared with her description, know where you are by the sounds of the city or town, easily imagine the main characters and even smell the fragrant flowers or the smell of sweat

The only thing that bothered me besides the slow beginning was the radical shift in behavior of the main character. I wondered if she would really do what she did. I still have not decided.

I recommend to anyone interested in historical fiction.

I received this book from the Amazon Vine program, but that did not influence my thoughts for this review in any way.

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Nov 10, 2011 Cynthia Mcarthur rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-rare-5-star-books

This is the story or Esther Kaminsky, and ultra Orthodox Jew raised in Jerusalem. The story begins in 1911. Esther is 11 and has been raised to believe that she is one of the elite Jews who will save all Jews by following all the very strict rules and regulations imposed upon them by their holy books and rabbis. When Esther discovers her amazing artistic talents, she struggles with believing they are God's gift to her, or believing what her religion tells her is a mortal sin.
This novel itself i...more

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Sep 04, 2011 Ruthie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a very beautifully written book about the little known sect of Jews who lived in Israel during the Ottoman Empire. They are almost cult like in the orthodoxy. Quite frankly I usually avoid books like this because reading about ultra-orthodox religions of any kind annoy and infuriate me. Inevitably woman are subjugated, people are encouraged never to think for themselves, and irrational "laws" govern behaviour, often to horrible results.

In this case the writing was so good that I was som...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book did grow on my, so I am rounding up to 4 stars. It set in the early 1900s, in Jerusalem, at the time of the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire. The protagonist, 11 year old Esther, is born into a family of Haredi Jews. Their ULTRA-Orthodoxy so demeans women that their only purpose is to marry (at about age 12 or 13)and produce male children. Esther's struggle to become the natural-born extremely talented artist would mean breaking away from the life into which she was born. Haredi Je...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Kelly Massry rated it 2 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: Much of this book made me deeply uncomfortable. I had a hard time separating my personal and religious beliefs from what I thought of the book’s literary merit.

Our “heroine,” Esther, is growing up in Jerusalem during the reign of the Ottoman Empire. She is part of the Haredim, a group of Ultra-Orthodox Jews that believe they are the chosen of The Chosen and are responsible not only for the bringing of the Messiah but for the fate of all the world’s Jews. A lot of pressure to say the...more Disclaimer: Much of this book made me deeply uncomfortable. I had a hard time separating my personal and religious beliefs from what I thought of the book’s literary merit.

Our “heroine,” Esther, is growing up in Jerusalem during the reign of the Ottoman Empire. She is part of the Haredim, a group of Ultra-Orthodox Jews that believe they are the chosen of The Chosen and are responsible not only for the bringing of the Messiah but for the fate of all the world’s Jews. A lot of pressure to say the least and Esther feels it. Her religious observance is strict and uncompromising. Though I consider myself a religious Jew, this is a level I’ve never seen before – which isn’t what affected my estimation of the book.

What did that is (what I believe is) Carner’s agenda. She uses this book to comment on (judge?) this Haredi community, by placing within its midst Esther, who has an artistic gift she deems in conflict with the commandment not to engrave images; Ruthi, the victim of an abusive arranged marriage; Asher, a homosexual and Hanna, a woman who is excommunicated and rabbinically ordered to divorce because she cannot have children. How do people like this – who don’t fit the mold of Haredi lifestyle – fare? Badly. And they make choices that reflect their desperate situations and might lead a layman to suspect that Judaism is a suffocating, dehumanizing, boorish and chauvinist religion. As someone who has treasured it all her life, I can attest that it is not.

My issue with these kinds books – in the tradition of The Rabbi’s Daughter and UnOrthodox – is that the main characters make drastic lifestyle changes, stray very far from who they originally were and desecrate their religion and its traditions in the process. The Rabbi’s Daughter and UnOrthodox are memoirs, so in their cases I can lament the trajectory as unfortunate but true to life. In the case of Jerusalem Maiden, though, the novel is in large part Carner’s construction – and I think she goes too far to make her point. If you are a secular Jew, or a non-Jew reading this book, please don’t allow its contents to represent Judaism as a whole for you. If you’re interested, study, ask questions and learn the truth. And also know that there are many sects of Judaism, extreme, modern, lax and in between. One sect and its dictates is in no way a conclusive reflection of the religion.

Back to the book, gripes aside. Esther goes through quite an arc as a character and to bear witness to it as a reader is impressive. Her internal struggle is real and complex with no easy answers. Carner powerfully deals with fate and faith in equal measure, as Esther evaluates what she wants against what she feels G-d expects from her. I personally don’t think her choices should have been so heart-wrenching and difficult, but because she is a part of this extreme sect of Judaism they are. Witness her struggle, wonder just how far she’ll go and if any of her dreams will come true.

~Kelly Massry
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Nov 10, 2011 Kimy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I liked the story line of this book. When this book came from the Goodreads Giveaway, I was excited to get started. A book about a girl trying to decide to either follow their heart or follow the traditions of their family has an excellent story base.

The author did a good job of explaining some of the Jewish phrases for those of us who do now understand. She also wrote well about the traditions and restrictions of the community. I was intrigued with the culture in the book.

There are parts of th...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: st-marys-book-club

I enjoyed the setting of the book and appreciated the struggle of the mail character, Ester, and found the book to be believable. However, this is another book where a mother leaves her children and I have little patience with this selfish behavior. I am sympathetic to her struggle, I just wish she had handled it differently.

This was also a book club read and it is best to keep in mind the time in which when this book was set, 1911 to 1968. The world was a very different place for women then, N...more

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THE JAMES MASON C...: By request: Discussion of my novel, JERUSALEM MAIDEN	2	7	Mar 15, 2012 01:37pm
Q & A with au...: Your favorite supporting or minor character?	2	6	Nov 14, 2011 06:25pm
Q & A with au...: Welcome	1	4	Nov 11, 2011 09:26pm

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