Customer Reviews

The Books of Rachel

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Born with the same name, this title grabbed my attention years ago when I read the book at the time it had its original cover art. I love this book and claimed it as one of my favorites after recently re-reading it once again. The author, Joel Gross, spent over a year on the research to write this book, and it definitely shows in the knowledge of the Jewish traditions, persecutions and people of each era he writes about. With tremendous detail, it seems as if Mr. Gross actually lived the lives of each of his characters as well. The vivid prose is sometimes poetic, making the realistic feelings of each character come to life.

"The Books of Rachel" begins with a modern-day Rachel in the Prologue as she is about to marry. As is tradition, she is to be given her birthright, the 500-year old, 60-carat white Cuheno diamond, also known as the Rachel diamond, for it once belonged to her family's Rachels, generations before her.

"The Book of Rachel" is divided into five parts, each one a depiction of the life of a Rachel during her particular time and era. Like the diamond of her namesake, each Rachel is unique, fierce with the fire of conviction and proud of her heritage, possessing the dignity of royalty and the courage of a heroine.

Part One takes place in Spain during 1484 where Rachel Cuheno lives with her family in an esteemed and noble position under protection of the royal court of King Ferdinand, and where she dies during the reign of tortures of the Jewish people and others during the Spanish Inquisition. It is during this time that her brother cut the Cuheno diamond, meant to be hers before her death and later passed to another Rachel born to the male side of the Cuheno family after the prior Rachel had deceased.

Part Two is set in Venice in 1610 where Rachel lives in the Jewish ghetto but through her sister, living as a courtesan in a palace, Rachel fatefully meets a travelling cousin possessing her diamond and joins the wealthy diamond business in Amsterdam.

Part Three is the account of the enlightened, wealthy, admired, brilliant, renegade Rachel of Berlin in 1772 who gave up all privilege of the married lifestyle between the two famed diamond empires for the passionate love that matched her own in another man of unique genius,

In Part Four, set in 1852 Jerusalem, Rachel from France, gives up her privileged lifestyle to dedicate herself to the dreams of her people. Against the wishes of her parents, Rachel travels to Jerusalem and finds her life's purpose there, helping the Jewish settlers make a life for themselves by learning the craft of diamond cutting and becoming a part of her family's business.

Part Five - Kent, England, 1937 - tells of the outspoken, spontaneous Rachel, also born to wealth's privilege who regardless, finds herself a target of anit-Semitism as the Nazi's tentacles reach England. At age 19, Rachel goes to Germany to try to ransom out lives of as many Jewish people as she can with her family's money but is sent to a concentration camp and does not survive.

The Epilogue continues where the Prologue began - with the modern-day Rachel receiving the Cuheno diamond from her father - and as with all of the other parts of this outstanding book, I didn't want it to close.

Reliving periods of history through a Jewish woman who stands up for beliefs she may not have known she has, each Rachel proves herself worthy of wearing the legacy of the diamond which is passed only to a "Rachel" through the centuries. From the Spanish Inquisition through modern times, we relive the Antisemitism of our forebearers.

A family diamond is given to a young woman on her wedding day. The diamond has existed through the centuries and traces the women in this family who have possessed the diamond. All of whom are named Rachel.The book is powerful in dealing with the plight of the Jewish nation throughout the centuries and especially Jewish women. It will enlighten you and entertain you into the wee hours of the morning. It is an excellent book.

This book is so good that I couldn't stop reading it (and I work full-time, have 3 kids, & getting my EE degree)! I am shopping for any other book by this author!

Not sure what it is exactly about this book that makes it so dense to get through... It is fiction meshed with non fiction, and certainly provides an interesting perspective on being a Jew (and a woman) in various different times in our history, however, I did not particularly find it engaging.

I should add though that several women in my family have read this book and absolutely loved it. So perhaps it is just not my cup of tea. :)

I have read this book over and over through the years. I found it among my Grandmother's books when I was in high school and have read it every year ever since. This is a true historical fiction and it is what got me interested in reading historical fiction as well.

This is about Rachel and her ancestors. They are Jewish women who have faced persecution throughout the centuries just because they were Jewish. And beginning with the first Rachel, there was a diamond that is symbolic of their heritage ~~ which is fitting for the women. A diamond is beautiful but also the toughest gem in the world. Only another diamond can scratch the diamond ~~ and none of these Rachels allowed life to defeat her.

This is an inspiring book. It is one of the very first books I have ever read that allows the heroine to be the strong one ~~ and it is inspiring in my personal life. I highly recommend reading this book ~~ for anyone who is interested in history and in reading about strong women.

5-23-03

As author of four historical novels, The Remnant, The Cartographer 1492, The Seed of Avraham, and Shtetl, I found this book a great read and full of good historical facts. The author has chosen an excellent vehical to take the reader through several centuries of Jewish social history. I give it five stars!

What an amazing book. Graphic in places, but with a purpose. Written with honesty and historical accuracy. The first Rachel's story is hard to get through, but worth it.

I bought this on my Kindle for just $2.99 as it was on my amazon recommended reading list. What a gem. My only criticism is that I would have loved it to be longer as I did not want it to end. I absolutely loved it and each of the Rachels. A new favourite which I will read again and again.

If you're looking for a good book of substance to read, then you've found it! I love historical novels, and to have one that tells the story of a family through 500 years of history is remarkable. I can't even begin to imagine how much research and time it took to develop the details of these stories. I've never read another book like this one; and I'm having a very hard time putting it down. It's full of stories about survival, love and loss, happiness and sadness. It's worth every penny. And, if you get it for your Kindle or Kindle app on your iPad or iPhone, then it's only $2.99. Can't beat that!