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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
Wonderful book. Two intertwined plots: a Jewish woman scribe in 17th century London and a graduate student and his mentor in the 21st century. Beautiful, poignant affirmative description of the life of the mind, centered on two unforgettable women characters.
The last section on the London plague years is especially appropriate.
The last section on the London plague years is especially appropriate.
A beautifully written book that toggles between 17th Century London and 2001. A scholar and a student are called to look at a cache of papers found hidden in a staircase. They are battling both time and other researchers to make some incredible discoveries about Ester Velasquez and the community of Jews in London. Nothing appeals to me more than historical fiction with strong female characters breaking from their traditional roles. It is also full of early thought and theory about the role of women in society. Highly recommended for those interested in historical fiction.
If you liked Possession by A.S. Byatt or People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, you will probably enjoy this.
As an aspiring historian myself, this book really touched my spirit. I lost interest about 1/3-1/2 through & momentarily put it aside. I decided I couldn’t give up on it, so I picked it back up & found what in it I was looking for. It was fascinating to paint the pictures in my head, especially at tear jerking points. Highly recommend this book!
I really liked this book but I listened to it and it was over 20 hours. It took months to finish and I got confused by some of what was going on. It might be better to read it than to listen to it. It reminded me of People of the Book
slow-paced
The book was super slow. The author wrote long chapters. The only way I could finish it was to only read the modern day chapters.
I listened to this and really enjoyed it. I loved the back and forth through time and the scholarly subject matter and feel of it.
An Intellectual Read Rich with Jewish History & Philosophy
I am happy I read this book but also happy to be done with it. The book is quite lengthy and full of some complicated text on Jewish history, philosophy and language from the 1600s. It was an interesting read that flips back and forth between modern day historians working on the story of a woman who they are trying to uncover and learn more about. The main character is a young woman in the 1600s who faces many hardships but finds freedom in writing, thought and philosophy. The other main plot line dives into the relationship between a younger history student and his colleague, an aging woman. The writing itself was a bit dense and at times tough to get through. Would really only recommend to folks deeply interested in history and philosophy.
I am happy I read this book but also happy to be done with it. The book is quite lengthy and full of some complicated text on Jewish history, philosophy and language from the 1600s. It was an interesting read that flips back and forth between modern day historians working on the story of a woman who they are trying to uncover and learn more about. The main character is a young woman in the 1600s who faces many hardships but finds freedom in writing, thought and philosophy. The other main plot line dives into the relationship between a younger history student and his colleague, an aging woman. The writing itself was a bit dense and at times tough to get through. Would really only recommend to folks deeply interested in history and philosophy.