Our second meeting we discussed the book, Jerusalem Maiden by Talia Carner.
I read the novel, Jerusalem Maiden when it first came out last summer. I have to say, I did not enjoy it as much as this time. Perhaps it was because I was reviewing the novel at the time. This time, I was reading it for pleasure.
The No Name Book Club discussed the history of pre-Israel during the Ottoman Empire. Most Jews that lived in Palestine before 1948, lived there for centuries, among the Arabs. Most Jews and Arabs did not get along with each other, just like it is now in 2012.
We discussed the Jewish communities in Palestine. The Ultra Orthodox community in Palestine, is very different for the Jewish community in America.
The Jewish community, Esther was living in was very strict. It is a commandmant thou shalt not make a image. But, in the Chabad community, in the United States, they are allowed pleasure of singing, and drawing, it is a actual commandment. One of our book club members is a reliable source, she is a member of the Chabad community.
Also, what happens when a wife can't conceive a child. I always thought the Rabbi, from the community tells the husband to divorce he's wife. I found out it has to be mutual. Both husband and wife have to want the (GET)diivorce. It is interesting that the last rabbi of Chabad and he's wife did not have children. It turns out it is a personal thing mainly from the husband.
What they make up in the movies. INTERESTING!!!
We discussed: Would any mother leave her children for a length of time to her sister, to take care of? I don't think so. I was upset that she left her children. She was jealous of Hannah, the children wanted her rather than her mother. It was a novelty that Hannah was there, after awhile they would get bored with her. Come on she was acting like a child. She just picked up and left and went to Paris.
The other thing, was everything to Esther was guilt. She felt so guilty for every thing. She told her self when something happened, was it coincidence? or g-ds will? Each time when something terrible happened, it was g-ds wrath.
We talked about some of the artists crazy antics. Would a artist rip up their artwork? Many artists worked for years to create and then they would destroy it as easy. Look at Picasso, Van Gogh, they were very eccentric.
Females were treated terribly in the middle east. You had to do what men told you or suffer the consequences. Look at her friend Ruthi, she committed suicide, because of her husband would beat her. Compared to Esther, Nathan was a good man. He treated her like gold. Ruthi was not so lucky.
I was about 20 minutes late, and this caused a problem with the book club discussion. It made the book club go off kilter. I would have liked to discuss, the relationship of her friend, and the ending of what happened to Esther. I was a bit confused.
These are the books we are discussing soon:
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik
Dovekeeper by Alice Hoffman
G-ds of Alabama by Josilyn Jackson
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
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