The Pomegranate Pendant

by Dvora Waysman

When Mazal and Ezra ben-Yichya embarked in 1882 on their long journey from Sana'a to the Holy Land, their young hearts were filled with dreams of the glory they were sure awaited them in Jerusalem. But those dreams were quickly dispelled by the reality they encountered: dark, towering walls of stone and a community of pious but impoverished Jews with customs foreign to them. How would the ben-Yichyas find their place in this new world peopled by European Torah scholars, and who would buy the exquisite jewelry they fashioned? This stirring saga spans four generations of a family of Yemenite goldsmiths at the vortex of history in the Land of Israel. Their tragedies and triumphs, their sorrows and joys, and most of all, the heroine's profound love for the Holy City, create a vivid and lasting image of an ancient land rising from two millennia of slumber to an era of splendor.

Genres: Israel, Fiction, Jewish, Historical Fiction

228 pages, Paperback

First published September 28, 2002

Reviews

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Pomegranate Pendant is a quick read of a Jewish historical fiction novel, with an interesting setting in Yemen and Old Yishuv Jerusalem before and after the turn of the twentieth century. Characters are developed pretty well and the protagonist's narrative voice is sparse and distinctive and rather effective. The interaction between Sefardic and Ashkenazic culture is handled in an interesting way, which makes me wonder how the book would be different if the author were actually Sefardic. The book suffers from uneven pacing and a plot that lags in many places, from the limitations of what characters are able to do in frum literature, and from thematic elements that occasionally get established and then never get developed. But it should make for the basis of a lively upcoming high school production anyway.

[Lady B of house Sefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Endearingly simple pros. The story is told in first person and follows Mazal and her husband as they leave Yemen and immigrate to Turkish controlled Palestine in 1881. Beautiful story, easy to read and a great introduction to Jewish Yemeni culture.

[Rachel Dick Plonka · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick easy read their covers a fascinating time period in history. The writing style was simplistic in my view, seemingly geared toward a young adult audience.

[Helaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was an excellent historical fiction. I really enjoyed the story. I did not like the virtual voice in the audio book. There were too many mispronunciations.

[Yehudit Levinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

lots of history of the Jewish settlement in the old city between the years 1890 and 1948. the story line was shallow and the writing style wasn't engrossing.

[Claudia Fabian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first half of the book. The second half almost seemed like the author changed her vision for the story midstream.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book and an easy read, I sped through it. It is a must for anyone interested in Yemenite Jewry.

[Memory Toast]

A quick read, but really informative and, in some parts, touching. The main character grows in a realitstic way, but there's not as many details about her later years.