Svetlana's Reads and Views

Name of Book: Rav Hisda's Daughter Enchantress Author: Maggie Anton ISBN: 978-0-452-29822-4 Publisher: Plume Part of a Series: Rav Hisda's Daughter Apprentice is the prequel Type of book: Babylonia, Judaism, 299-359, magic, building of laws, communities, demons, spells, enchanting, family life, secrets, marriage, Jewish holidays, slave owners, Jewish life, Arabian life, christians gaining power, Rome Year it was published: 2014 Summary: Fantastic tales of demons and the Evil Eye, magical incantations, and powerful attractions abound in Enchantress, a novel that weaves together Talmudic lore, ancient Jewish magic, and a timeless love story set in fourth-century Babylonia.   One of the most powerful practitioners of these mysterious arts is Rav Hisda’s daughter, whose innate awareness allows her to possess the skills men lack. With her husband, Rava--whose arcane knowledge of the secret Torah enables him to create a "man” out of earth and to resurrect ...

Name of Book: Rav Hisda's Daughter Apprentice Author: Maggie Anton ISBN: 978-0-452-29809-5 Publisher: Plume Part of a Series: Rav Hisda's Daughter Enchantress is a sequel Type of book: Middle East, 283-299 ME, Judaism, holy magic, holidays, travel, childbirth, Mishna, Talmud, laws, debates, love triangle, marriage, Rabbis, beginnings, Zoroastrianism, christianity, Persia, various professions, scholars, family relationships Year it was published: 2012 Summary: Hisdadukh, blessed to be beautiful and learned, is the youngest child of Talmudic sage Rav Hisda. The world around her is full of conflict. Rome, fast becoming Christian, battles Zoroastrian Persia for dominance while Rav Hisda and his colleagues struggle to establish new Jewish traditions after the destruction of Jerusalem's Holy Temple. Against this backdrop Hisdadukh embarks on the tortuous path to become an enchantress in the very land where the word 'magic' originated. But the conf...

Name of Book: Rachel Author: Maggie Anton ISBN: 9780452295681 Publisher: Plume Publishing Part of a Series: Rashi's Daughters Type of book: 1091-1105, France, Medieval, Talmud, Crusades, secular vs Torah, divorce, aging, death, clothing, traveling, Sepharad, courtly love, adultery Year it was published: 2009 Summary: The dramatic final book in the epic historical trilogy about the lives and loves of the three daughters of the great Talmud scholar Rashi Rachel is the youngest and most beautiful daughter of medieval Jewish scholar Salomon ben Isaac, or ?Rashi.? Her father?s favorite and adored by her new husband, Eliezer, Rachel?s life looks to be one of peaceful scholarship, laughter, and love. But events beyond her control will soon threaten everything she holds dear. Marauders of the First Crusade massacre nearly the entire Jewish population of Germany, and her beloved father suffers a stroke. Eliezer wants their family to move to the safety of Spain, but R...

Name of Book: Miriam Author: Maggie Anton ISBN: 9780452288638 Publisher: Plume Part of a Series: Rashi's Daughters Type of book: 1078-1089, France, nobility, Talmud, homosexuality, breaking gender roles, wines, Salomon, marriage, widowed, soul mate, Jewish life, birth control, superstitions Year it was published: 2007 Summary: 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 Rash...

Name of Book: Joheved Author: Maggie Anton ISBN: 9780976305057 Publisher: Banot Press Part of a Series: Rashi's Daughters Trilogy Type of book: 1069-1077, wine, France, Talmud, debates, life, education of women, gender bending activities, Judaism, Jewish vs christian life, survival Year it was published: 2005 Summary: The first two novels in a dramatic trilogy set in eleventh-century France about the lives and loves of three daughters of the great Talmud scholar In 1068, the scholar Salomon ben Isaac returns home to Troyes, France, to take over the family winemaking business and embark on a path that will indelibly influence the Jewish world-writing the first Talmud commentary, and secretly teaching Talmud to his daughters. Joheved, the eldest of his three girls, finds her mind and spirit awakened by religious study, but, knowing the risk, she must keep her passion for learning and prayer hidden. When she becomes betrothed to Meir ben Samuel, she is forced to cho...