Customer Reviews

Rashi's Daughters, Book III: Rachel: A Novel of Love and the Talmud in Medieval France

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read and enjoyed very much the first two books of this trilogy (Jocheved and Miriam),
so I looked forward to a great read this time.

Unfortunately, this book is plagued by several problems that detracted from what could have
been an interesting story:

1. Anton goes too far in attempting to include scattered bits of royal intrigue in the story.
It is impossible to keep track of the minor nobility/Church players who come up once or twice
to do something that never matters to the story. She should have stayed with the characters who
have roles in the plot of her main story, which would still have left many political and religious
figures.

2. Anton does not carefully weave new/remembered characters into the story, so more than once
I was going back to check who someone was in the family tree. This is made more difficult by the
fact that lots of people have duplicate names (not her fault) and the fact that she did not
include children who died early on the family tree (her fault), or a general list/glossary of
characters from the first two books (her fault). Yes, I read the first two, but I did not
have their characters at the top of my mind every second, and that should not be necessary
in reading the third book of a trilogy.

3. Anton's editors made a common mistake for established best-selling writers: they did not
edit the book carefully, leaving such glaring errors as "principle mourners" for "principal
mourners," misplaced punctuation, mis-conjugated verbs, and spelling errors.

4. The characters Eliezer and Rachel are simply not believable in many of their life
choices. It would have been far more believable, for instance, if Rachel and Dovid had
had some (any!) action. It would have been more believable if Rachel had refrained from
being overwrought with passion for her husband (!) when he continually treats her poorly
and cheats on her. Rachel's relationships with other people, like her parents, sisters,
and children - are all very well done and believable, so it is just this one that is
problematic and poorly written.

5. Anton missed a brilliant chance to address what was likely an STD (syphilis?) infection
that kept causing Eliezer's reproductive woes, considering his promiscuity. Usually she does
a great job with the historical-medical content, but not in this case - she did not use it
as a plot element.

...I do think that Anton is a good writer, and I would likely buy books from her next
series. But I hope that she will put as much effort into later chapters of her story as she
does into the beginnings.

I'm not a reader of romance novels, but I am a fan of historical fiction -- if the work at hand is well-researched, imaginative and believable. The first two books in Maggie Anton's "Rashi Daughters" trilogy fit those criteria and I'm happy to report so does the finale. The opening hostage scene of "Book III: Rachel" is a good example. The historic details of this kidnapping seem true to its time-period; the scene proves an exciting teaser without any foreseeable conclusion; and its unique ransom dilemma fits what we know or are about to find out about the victim's way of life.

Author Maggie Anton's analysis of source materials from the predominately Christian culture of medieval France is paired with her passion for Jewish Talmud as a spiritual life source worthy of study today. The story of the latter's leading scholar ends as it began in Book I. It continues in the timeless familial tradition of both faiths -- through the memories of the next generation.

Reading the last volume of a great trilogy provides a bittersweet experience. It allows us to follow the characters and plot to a fitting conclusion in a now familiar past one can virtually see and taste. But that very end point leaves us frozen in time on a much-loved and long-traveled road, wanting to go further. Clearly, "Rashi's Daughters, Book III: Rachel," is above leaving any obvious openings for sequels or prequels. This underscores the artistry of an author ready to lead us into different cultures from other centuries past. After promoting this great read, Ms. Anton can get back to work, re-applying her research skills and writing gifts without any need to repeat herself. We don't know where she'll take us next, but my hunch is Ms. Anton already does.
Rashi's Daughters, Book 1: JohevedRashi's Daughters, Book II: Miriam: A Novel of Love and the Talmud in Medieval France

I had no doubt that this book would be as excellent as the first two - I ordered as quickly as I could when I realized it was available. And! I am recommending it to people as a "must read". As most of us who study Torah know, it is a never-ending learning/education - and these books are a perfect example. I always, always learn something within these books. The historical side smacks us in the face with the horrors that Jewish communities went through and it is so hard to comprehend the terror those people had to have felt. I know that I felt suffocated when reading about those trapped in the bishop's home - and their slaughter. It's interesting to see their reactions to eclipses or star showers - and what they think it must portend. To see a continuation of the families and their joys and heartaches was fulfilment - I'll miss them, but I look forward to whatever Maggie Anton has to offer us down the road in future books and future travels. Something about Babylon was mentioned - that should be very interesting.

I have learned to love each of Rashi's daughters thanks to the skillful writing of Maggie Anton. I loved the stories about their lives and I loved learning a bit of Talmud and what life was like in Medieval France at the time that Rashi lived.

I wish that Rashi had had another daughter for her to write about and I anxiously await Maggie Anton's next book.

This final volume of Anton's trilogy about the famous Hasidic scholar's family in late 11th Century Troyes (near Paris) portrays Jewish European communities in turmoil as they face attack by Chrisitan mobs inspired by the Pope's call to end the "infidel's" hold over Jerusulem. Viewing all non-Christians as heretics, the mobs' leaders turned their anger on local Jews before heading to take on the followers of Allah. As an native American of Jewish heritage who has viewed the Holocaust from outside looking in, Anton's work brought home the plight of Jews who were persecuted 900 years ago for their devotion to their faith and their unwillingness to accept the divinity of Jesus. These Jewish communities in Germany and France were well established and contibuted to the overall economy and culture, and yet they were vulnerable. It is a haunting story.

Rachel, the third of Rashi's daughers, like her sisters is a Talmudic scholar and helps her father in deveping his commentaries on the Gmorrah and the Mishmah. She is also an avid businesswoman and has the ambition of becoming a successful wooolen's entrepreneur. In her mind, her freedom as a Jewish woman (daughter and wife) lies in her continued association with her father, her sisters and their families and the Jewish community in Troyes France. Her dilemma is that her husband, a very successful fur and woolens goods merchant, has developed a compelling interest in astronomy and sees his future (and his family's) tied to the Jewish community in Toledo, Sepharad (Spain). Thus, this book is also a very personal story of a woman who finds strength in her faith and her intellect. If the Talmud does not specifically ban a woman from carrying out a religious rite, she believes she may conduct that rite (even if tradition has assigned it to the men in the community.) A woman owes loyalty to her husband but not if he wants to move her and her children away from the community she and they cherish. She and her sisters have shown their father that a woman's role in Judaism can be much more than wives and mothers. They can study and understand the Talmud and offer cogent questions about the meanings of scripture. They can help in the reliogious education of the young, both the girls and the boys. They can inspire their siblings, husbands and children to pursue a full life devoted to Talmud, family and community. Perhaps of interest to some of Anton's readers, she includes pre-marital couseling and Talmudic directions to a Jewish husband in how to satisfy the sexual needs of his spouse. Her context is 11th Century France but the advice has validity in 21st Century America.

For those who found Anton's protrayals of dialogues between Talmudic scholars and students fascinating in her first two books in this triology, they will not be disappointed in Volume III. The constant search for the meaning of each scriptural directive and their applications in contemporary life made judaic studies relevent then and, as Anton opines, even for us today.

I love historical fiction and find that M Anton does a fantastic job weaving history, religion and fiction.

I really enjoyed the first two books and they lead me to do some research of my own. This, the last book, was my favorite. She did an incredible job with the history and again with the characters.

Perhaps it was the lag time since the previous editions of the trilogy, but this one did not feel as unified as the others. It was still interesting to read about the culture and I'm glad to have read the book.

Take a journey to France in the eleventh century and witness the life of Rachel, Rashi's youngest daughter. Rashi is a Jewish scholar and he has made sure his three daughters are educated in the Talmud. Rashi has high hopes for favorite daughter Rachel. Rachel has married a worthy man who cherishes her and understands her calling in life. Rachel plans to follow in her fathers footsteps and become a scholar.

When a war breaks out, all thoughts and hopes must be put aside because survival becomes the most important goal. Rashi has a stroke and Rachel is determined to stay by his side even when her husband demands they flee to Spain. Decisions must be made even if it means hurting people you love. Will Rachel make the right choice and live happily ever after?

A beautiful story that will warm even the coldest of hearts. If you believe in the strength of family bonds, I think you would enjoy this book.

I have read all 3 of the series by Maggie Anton and found them all very informative of the life in Medieval France. It learned a lot about Rashi himself and Jewish life, and customs of the times. It also gave a picture of the life of women and their abilities to run businesses while their husbands were away for months on end.

What a wonderful trilogy, Rashi's Daughters. I learned so much from reading the 3 books. The 3 books are excellently written historical fiction. They describe how the Jewish people lived during a period in time that is rarely written about from a fictional point of view. The characters are very believable and well developed. The reader truly cares about each of the characters as they face the challenges that life presents to them. The books delve into the lives of the Jews of France during the 11th Century. Usually when or if you read historical fiction from the 11th century, you read about the church, not the Jewish people. It was so interesting to see how the Jewish people managed to survive, and to learn, in depth about their beliefs. It was truly enlightening.