From The NY Times. What is the future of reading? Students Get New Assignment: Pick Books You Like. I'm torn on this article. In one way, YAY for encouraging reading! In another... I like literary canon. Maybe do a mix of both, as the article suggests.
And this discusses a Hollywood conservative Jewish woman who advocates attachment parenting! Woohoo! The website is fluffy, but I liked the video interview quite a bit. Mayim Bialik speaks out.
Also, I forgot to mention that a few weeks ago I finished Sarah, Zipporah, and Lilah, Marek Halter's Canaan trilogy. They're very light reading in the genre of Biblical historical fiction. Sarah was good, but I didn't care for the other two that much. Halter has this almost utilitarian idea of women as self-sacrificing their happiness for the greater good, so all three main characters don't follow their hearts so that they can "help" the men in their life (Abraham, Moses, and Ezra, respectively) improve the status of the Israelites. I don't buy it. No one should spend their life miserable, no matter what the outcome. There's always another way.
If you're looking for historical fiction, however, I do recommend the now-canonical The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, on Dinah, Jacob's daughter, and Queenmaker and Wisdom's Daughter by India Edghill, the first about Michal, David's wife (three guesses why I picked up the book in the first place), and the second about Solomon's daughter. While we're on the subject, I also read The Gilded Chamber a long time ago, about Esther, but I wasn't too impressed. The Rashi's Daughters series isn't Biblical, but they're still fun (Rashi was a Talmudic commentator in medieval France). I recommend the first novel, thought the second was okay, and haven't yet read the third. BUT, and if you've been following this blog for a while you may remember, the author is a friend of a friend, and I had a long phone talk with her about it, and she was really cool. So I'll always recommend her books just for that alone.
Does anyone here have any religious-character historical fiction for me to read? I'm always looking for something good, comment away.
And this discusses a Hollywood conservative Jewish woman who advocates attachment parenting! Woohoo! The website is fluffy, but I liked the video interview quite a bit. Mayim Bialik speaks out.
Also, I forgot to mention that a few weeks ago I finished Sarah, Zipporah, and Lilah, Marek Halter's Canaan trilogy. They're very light reading in the genre of Biblical historical fiction. Sarah was good, but I didn't care for the other two that much. Halter has this almost utilitarian idea of women as self-sacrificing their happiness for the greater good, so all three main characters don't follow their hearts so that they can "help" the men in their life (Abraham, Moses, and Ezra, respectively) improve the status of the Israelites. I don't buy it. No one should spend their life miserable, no matter what the outcome. There's always another way.
If you're looking for historical fiction, however, I do recommend the now-canonical The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, on Dinah, Jacob's daughter, and Queenmaker and Wisdom's Daughter by India Edghill, the first about Michal, David's wife (three guesses why I picked up the book in the first place), and the second about Solomon's daughter. While we're on the subject, I also read The Gilded Chamber a long time ago, about Esther, but I wasn't too impressed. The Rashi's Daughters series isn't Biblical, but they're still fun (Rashi was a Talmudic commentator in medieval France). I recommend the first novel, thought the second was okay, and haven't yet read the third. BUT, and if you've been following this blog for a while you may remember, the author is a friend of a friend, and I had a long phone talk with her about it, and she was really cool. So I'll always recommend her books just for that alone.
Does anyone here have any religious-character historical fiction for me to read? I'm always looking for something good, comment away.
4 comments:
As someone who's not a big reader, I actually like choice being integrated into the public school system. I do agree that a mix would be wise. With loving guidance, I think kids would be willing to read recommended books, especially if they know everyone else is.
And just an FYI....I really enjoyed Sarah. Haven't read the others in the series. I LOVED the Red Tent! Do you remember what Anita Diamont's response was when she spoke here in Long Beach a few years ago and was asked how she could dare write a novel based on the Torah but interpret so many of the stories differently? She said, "I considered it my birthright." Brilliant. It brings true joy to Torah study. Thanks so much for your recs and the articles. Loved the attachment parenting one.
Love,
Mom
Michal wasn't Solomon's daughter... she was Saul's :)
and yeah, I just finished the 2nd Rashi's daughter before I left for camp... I didn't like it so much. Especially since it strayed so far from what we actually know of Rashi's daughter's lives... I liked the first one though... It seemed much more based in historical fact rather than fiction... Haven't bothered to pick up the third.
I also didn't love the Red Tent... but that might just be because I like the traditional interpretation better :)
On the note of Historical novels (though not torah-based) I just finished reading a book called The Devil's Company this shabbos - based in England c. 1720 about the East India Trading Co. that I liked a lot...
Keep in touch!!!
Love,
Chana
Mom, I had forgotten about that. I agree with her, and you!
Chana, I know who Michal was, I just wrote it wrong. I meant to say that the second book, Wisdom's Daughter, was about Solomon's daughter. And cool, I know next to nothing about the East India Trading Co. I'll have to pick it up!
I think a mix would definitely be the best - Unfortunately in our climate of standardized testing and funding dependent of test score - most school and districts are not willing to experiment.
I just finished the 3rd Rashi's daughters. It was my least favorite of the 3. The Talmud sections seemed very repetitive. I didn't find the relationship between Rachel and her husband very convincing. I don't want to post spoilers - but if you let me know when you read it we can talk.
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