A review by bonnie_the_book_lady
The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish

5.0

Beautiful, brilliant, expertly researched... Bravo! The novel opens as Helen, a professor close to retirement, has been asked to come to one of her former student's home to examine some documents he finds under the steps of a house he and his wife wish to turn into a gallery. They want the documents removed as soon as possible so construction can begin and the timeline maintained. What Helen finds, takes her to her knees. The documents were treasures. The university allowed others in addition to Helen and her assistant to study them. Helen's health begins to suffer. I can reveal very little in this review as there are spoilers. Yet the back and forth between the current time period and the seventeenth century was smooth and utterly fascinating. This reader learned so much about Jewish history, which for me in my limited world view seemed to be at its absolute worst persecution during the Nazi regime. This novel brought crystal clear the persecution over centuries, as well as the limited role women were allowed to play...basically sit still and look pretty. I listened to this book on Audible. It was expertly narrated. I appreciate Rachel Kadish so much for her tender love and care of this extensive story. An absolute masterpiece.