What I’m Reading
I’ve been reading a lot this summer, but that’s nothing new. Here are some of the books I’ve been enjoying.
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
This is one of my all-time favorite historical novels and one I revisit every few years. The Red Tent is Dinah’s story, and where she is only briefly hinted at in the Bible as Jacob’s daughter, here in this novel she has her say. In fact, The Red Tent was the direct inspiration for my own Woman of Stones, which takes place in Biblical Jerusalem.
Joheved: Rashi’s Daughters, Book One by Maggie Anton
Joheved is an interesting combination of Jewish history and romance novel. Rashi, if you’re not familiar with him, is one of the most respected Jewish sages whose commentary on the Talmud is still studied vigorously today. He lived in 11th century France and made his living as a vintner while writing his commentaries. He had no sons, and it is said that his daughters studied Talmud. Even today there are those who believe women shouldn’t study Talmud for reasons I won’t bother going into. His grandsons became great scholars as well, and this book makes the connection from the great scholar Rashi to his daughters to his grandsons. As a historical novel, I found Joheved worth the read because I learned a lot about Jewish life in 11th century France, a time I knew little about.
Sotah by Naomi Ragen
I enjoyed Ragen’s An Unorthodox Match so I tried Sotah. There are times in Sotah when Ragen describes the Ultra-Orthodox in a way that makes it seem as though they have a unified consciousness, like the Borg Collective only Jewish. I didn’t have that same feeling when reading An Unorthodox Match, where I felt like the characters’ unique personalities were more clearly defined. Still, I gave Sotah four stars on Goodreads since I realized I must have been pulled into the story. If the story wasn’t engaging I wouldn’t have cared and I definitely wouldn’t have finished the book.
The Physician by Noah Gordon
I’ve only just started reading this one but this is exactly the kind of historical novel I love to sink into during the summer–a long read that pulls you into the past from the first page. The Physician takes place in 11th century England, and so far I’m enjoying the ride.
