I’ve always believed that history isn’t a dry record of events; it’s a portal to the human soul, one that connects us to all the people who lived before. Diving into books about the history of the Jewish people connects me not only intellectually, but also emotionally. I was inspired to write Rebel Daughter as soon as I learned of the ancient gravestone of a Jewish woman. I was so intrigued by the unlikely but true love story the stone revealed that I spent the next ten years with some of the world's leading scholars and archaeologists to bring the real characters to life as accurately as possible. I have degrees from Princeton and Harvard and live in Israel.
By Lori Banov Kaufmann
Rebel Daughter transports the reader to one of the most dramatic and momentous events in human history – the destruction of Jerusalem in the 1st century. This stunning tale of family, love, and resilience was inspired by a major archaeological discovery in southern Italy: the 2,000-year-old gravestone of Claudia Aster (Esther). The few Latin words chiseled into the ancient stone, proof of a very unlikely romance, shocked and intrigued scholars around the world.
Rebel Daughter is Esther’s story. This emotional and impassioned saga, based on real characters and meticulous research, seamlessly blends the fascinating story of the Jewish people with a timeless protagonist determined to take charge of her own life against all odds.
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By Anita Diamant
The Red Tent is a classic, one that was almost required reading for book clubs in the late ’90s. In this international bestseller, Diamant retells the Biblical story of Jacob’s daughters. Its focus on mothers, daughters, and women’s cycles made the ancient world come alive with its rich, lyrical prose.
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By Amos Oz
This book is both a coming-of-age memoir for the author and the State of Israel. It’s a masterpiece! I was holding my breath (and had tears streaming down my face) as I read his description of the night the neighborhood gathered by the radio to listen to the UN vote on establishing a Jewish state.
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By Elie Wiesel, Marion Wiesel
It seems like there’s an almost insatiable demand for books about the Holocaust. Yet I have moral qualms with using this tragedy to create emotionally-manipulative fiction. I believe that the victims have the right to this story. No one tells it more powerfully than Elie Wiesel.
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By Isaac Bashevis Singer
I still remember the thrill of hearing this Nobel Prize Laureate in Fiction speak at NYU many decades ago. He simply cast a spell over the audience. It's hard to pick just one of his works to put on the list but Enemies, A Love Story is one of my favorites so I’ll go with this.
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By Unknown, Robert Alter
Because how can you have a list of the greatest Jewish books of all time without this? (apologies for putting it in last place!). The one that has defined life as we know it yet so few of us have ever really read. Actually, "reading" seems too gentle a word for what happens when you dive into this ancient text - grappling, struggling, or wrestling seem more apt. The pre-eminent scholar Robert Alter renders the ancient Hebrew into a powerful, faithful English translation which soars.
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