Rav Hisda's Daughter, Book I: Apprentice: A Novel of Love, the Talmud, and Sorcery [Paperback]

Maggie Anton (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 31, 2012 | Series: Rav Hisda's Daughter (Book 1)

Hisdadukh, blessed to be beautiful and learned, is the youngest child of Talmudic sage Rav Hisda. The world around her is full of conflict. Rome, fast becoming Christian, battles Zoroastrian Persia for dominance while Rav Hisda and his colleagues struggle to establish new Jewish traditions after the destruction of Jerusalem's Holy Temple. Against this backdrop Hisdadukh embarks on the tortuous path to become an enchantress in the very land where the word 'magic' originated.

But the conflict affecting Hisdadukh most intimately arises when her father brings his two best students before her, a mere child, and asks her which one she will marry. Astonishingly, the girl replies, “Both of them.” Soon she marries the older student, although it becomes clear that the younger one has not lost interest in her. When her new-found happiness is derailed by a series of tragedies, a grieving Hisdadukh must decide if she does, indeed, wish to become a sorceress. Based on actual Talmud texts and populated with its rabbis and their families, Rav Hisda's Daughter: Book I – Apprentice brings the world of the Talmud to life - from a woman's perspective.

Praise for the Rashi’s Daughters trilogy:

“Anton delivers a tour de force.” —Library Journal

“A compelling combination of drama, suspense, and romance.” —Lilith magazine

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Anton, the author of the acclaimed “Rashi’s Daughters” trilogy, has penned her best book to date. Using her extensive knowledge of the Talmud and other historical Jewish writings, she immersed herself in the tractates to uncover a marvelous heroine for this historical novel… Complex discussions of Jewish law and tradition as well as detailed description of the culture and customs of the times enhance truly wonderful storytelling. VERDICT This absorbing novel should be on everyone’s historical fiction reading list." —Library Journal (starred review)

 

“Rav Hisda’s Daughter provides a wealth of historical detail about Jewish life in Babylon and Israel in the 3rd century CE. It depicts the daily life and coming of age of a prominent rabbi’s daughter rather than propelling its reader through a traditional arc of action with a crisis and resolution. Its interest lies in its portrayal of the sorcery, incantations, and women’s customs in this exotic, faraway period of time and place, sometimes against the backdrop of war.”  —Historical Novel Society

Praise for the Rashi's Daughters trilogy:

“Anton delivers a tour de force . . . [Readers] will fly through the pages and come away wishing for more.” –Library Journal (starred review)

“A compelling combination of drama, suspense, and romance.” –Lilith magazine

 

 

About the Author

Maggie Anton was born Margaret Antonofsky in Los Angeles, California. Raised in a secular, socialist household, she reached adulthood with little knowledge of her Jewish religion. All that changed when David Parkhurst, who was to become her husband, entered her life, and they both discovered Judaism as adults. In the early 1990's, Anton began studying Talmud in a class for women taught by Rachel Adler, now a professor at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. She became intrigued with the idea that Rashi, one of the greatest Jewish scholars ever, had no sons, only three daughters. Slowly but surely, she began to research the family and the time in which they lived. Legend has it that Rashi's daughters were learned in a time when women were traditionally forbidden to study the sacred texts. These forgotten women seemed ripe for rediscovery, and the idea of a book about them was born.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Plume; 1 Original edition (July 31, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452298091
• ISBN-13: 978-0452298095
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #285,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #54 in Books > History > Ancient > Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer

More About the Author

Maggie Anton is the award-winning author of "Rashi's Daughters," historical novels set in the household of the great medieval Jewish scholar, whose daughters studied Talmud when these sacred texts were forbidden to women. The first book of her new series, "Rav Hisda's Daughter: A Novel of Love, The Talmud and Sorcery," which takes place in 3rd-century Babylonia as the Talmud is being created, was selected for 2012 National Jewish Book Award in Fiction and Library Journal's choice for Best 2012 Historical Fiction.

A native of Los Angeles, Maggie worked for over 30 years as a clinical chemist for Kaiser Permanente before becoming an author. Raised in a secular, socialist household, she reached adulthood with little knowledge of her Jewish religion. All that changed when David Parkhurst, who was to become her husband, entered her life, and they both discovered Judaism as adults. That was the start of a lifetime of Jewish education, synagogue involvement, and ritual observance.

In 1992 Anton learned about a women's Talmud class taught by Rachel Adler, now a professor at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. To her surprise, she fell in love with Talmud, a passion that has continued unabated for twenty years. Intrigued that the great Talmudic scholar Rashi had no sons, only daughters, Anton researched the family and decided to write novels about them. Thus the award-winning trilogy, Rashi's Daughters, was born.
Still studying women and Talmud, Anton has lectured throughout North America and Israel about the history behind her novels. You can follow her blog and contact her at her website, www.maggieanton.com.

"Rashi's Daughters:Book I - JOHEVED" was published in 2005, in honor of the 900th anniversary of Rashi's death, "Book II-MIRIAM" in 2007, and "Book III - RACHEL" in August 2009 by Plume. A YA version for ages 9-14, "Rashi's Daughter: Secret Scholar" was published in 2008 by JPS. Volume 1 of "Rav Hisda's Daughter" was published by Plume in Aug 2012 and it's sequel is due out in 2014.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I learn so much with each Maggie Anton book! September 6, 2012

By J Loves Mysteries

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

As a child my family thought that Workmans'Circle school would be better for me than Hebrew school. So I learned to speak, read and write Yiddish, and learned Jewish History from the perspective of those who didn't believe in G-d. Each of Maggie's novels add to my knowledge of Judaism and Jewish History. But Rav Hisda's Daughter took a turn I never expected, exploring the world of Sorcery in Judaism. Based upon the true story of Rav Hisda's Daughter, the book reveals a world previously unknown to me. As always, it is masterfully written, and crammed with amazing research. I don't want to give away the story so it is best to simply say that if you love a good story about love, and if you want to learn more about Jewish History, do read this exceptional book!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Rav Hisda's Daughter: Groundbreaking Social History August 29, 2012

By Arthur L. Finkle

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Rav Hisda's Daughter, by Maggie Anton, is groundbreaking just as Johebed was in the trilogy of Rashi's Daughters. Her grasp of social history of the 3rd and 4th century Babylonian is extraordinary. Social history is difficult to find, much less that of medieval and pre-medieval ages. For that reason alone, this book is an eye-opener for a historian as well as a layperson.

Her knowledge of the subject matter, the Babylonian Talmud is also extraordinary in that she presents arcane ideas in an understandable format.

If Joheved was a masterpiece, Rav Hisda's Daughter is a tour de force.

Arthur L. Finkle

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This was a page-turner and I learned a lot July 31, 2012

By M. Epstein

Format:Paperback

I was blessed to be able to read this prior to publication. It was quite a page turner and I learned a lot about the time period while I was at it. Maggie's books get better with each one! I can't wait for the next book to find out what happens next.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't wait for book 2! September 5, 2012

By Rachel

Format:Paperback

As part of Library Things's Early Reviewers network, I was given a copy of Maggie Anton's new novel, Rav Hisda's Daughter. As I was with her first two novels (in the Rashi's Daughters series), I am very glad that the's building in a sequel!

Rav Hisda's daughter is a historical-fiction piece, similar (in concept) to Anita Diamond's The Red Tent and Anton's own earlier works Rashi's Daughters. As a lover of midrash (Jewish storytelling based on Torah or other historical writings) as well as general fiction, I doubly love these pieces. I appreciate the clear wealth of research that had to go into developing not only the characters but all the details - from what a woman calls herself while menstruating to the process of creating date beer and the language that was used to craft amulets to protect from specific demons for bathhouses! I'm not a historian, so I can't speak to accuracy, but the feel is spot-on.

We follow the young adulthood of Hisdadukh - Rav Hisda's daughter (would love a pronunciation key on her name - I have been saying "hees-DAH-duke" in my head, but I don't know if that's accurate!) - as she matures from an older child (around 11) to a young wife. It doesn't give away more than the first page (written from Hisdadukh as sort of a memoir overview) to say that she looses her husband suddenly and has to decide how to move forward in her life. Even with that framing in mind, I was consistently unsure of where the story was going next and was regularly, and pleasantly, surprised to see it going down a path I had not anticipated.

Anton's writing is clear and quick-paced.... Although she utilizes some "in-speak" familiar to those who have either read her earlier books or who have studied Jewish text, she provides several different reference guides to help newcomers. I am not sure you'd need it - she brings the reader into the story so completely that I think any unfamiliar phrases or concepts would become understandable quickly.

In short - I was hooked from the first pages and can't wait for part 2! Read more ›

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Encyclopedic Drama November 21, 2012

By raisa

Format:Paperback

This is a good story, heavily laden with detail: The fabrics, the food and the customs of Babylonian Jewish families and Torah interpretations of each and every thing in their lives. This is a story of the family and students of Rav Hisda, a rabbi, who live a life where social customs are completely influenced by religious text -- especially when it comes to marriage and living arrangements. This means that, chapter after chapter, we see the students debating fine points of Mishna and Baraita with the rabbi. Sometimes, this illuminates their personalities and advances the plot -- other times it is more like textbook on the rabbinical dialectic.

This does drag the story down, but sticking with it, I found it worth while. Many characters speak more like an encyclopedia than with the voices of living people -- and, as colorful as this is, many scenes convey nothing beyond the information they impart (how beer is brewed, how flax is woven, which dates and hours are auspicious for writing amulets). But over the years of her life, the heroine Dada slowly as a thoughtful and self-determined young woman who comes of age in a fascinating time in history.

For readers curious about this time and place in history, this book would indeed be a great way to learn a lot. For even greater fiction about (much later) Jewish history I strongly recommend Lilian Natel's gorgeous and resonant novel The River Midnight- another amazingly detailed book that works on every level.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating historical drama of a third century family in Babylon and Israel February 10, 2013

By Israel Drazin TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I highly recommend this book for Jews and non-Jews, those familiar with the Talmud and those who are not, those interested in a well-written drama or prefer history, and those who want to learn about the ancient culture of Jews, Zoroastrians, and Christians at the end of the third century in Babylon and Israel. Maggie Anton proved her ability to capture the life of one of Judaism's greatest Bible and Talmud commentators in her Rashi's Daughters trilogy. He lived in France in the eleventh century. Now she does it again as she reveals the life of one of Judaism's preeminent Talmudic sages and his family.

Rav Hisda's opinions on Jewish law are mentioned frequently in the Talmud, which also relate some facts about his life. Maggie Anton's novel is based on this information, which she uses faithfully. While there are only few details about his daughter in the Talmud, not even her name, one of the principle episodes in the book about her is there. Rav Hisda asked her who of two of his students she wanted to marry, and although Jewish law forbids a woman to be married to two men, she answers "Both of them."

One of these two men would grow up to be one of the most famous Babylonian rabbis mentioned in the Talmud, the man known as Rava. People familiar with the Talmud will enjoy how she portrays him, as will those who previously never heard of the man.

Anton describes the unusual culture in the Jewish houses of learning in a dramatic fashion. She also lets us see the ancient cultures of Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians, including their beliefs in the detrimental effects of the "evil eye," which caused them to be very careful how they acted. They were also convinced that enchantments work, a superstitious belief that many people still retain in various forms today.... Anton describes Hisda's daughter as an unusually bright woman who becomes interested in making different articles that avoid evil events, even sickness and death, and that help people secure what they want, including sex and children. Read more ›