Issue 14 - September 2007

Rashi's Daughters Book II: Miriam by Maggie Anton Reviewed by Emily Veinglory

Maggie Anton's trilogy started with Book I: Joheved which she self-published under the aegis of Banot Press. The trilogy was subsequently picked up by Plume, an imprint of Penguin. I have not read the first book, which doesn't contain, as far as I know, any homosexual themes, but found this no obstacle to immediately understanding what was going on in Book II.

By the end of the first chapter I was a little under-whelmed. The characters seemed flat, the writing uneven and occasionally awkward and on the whole not engaging. Within another chapter I realized that my rush to judgment had been a mistake. Maggie Anton's style is understated and unusual, but she drew me inexorably into the world of Miriam and her family in 11th century France until by the end I wanted to read on; I will certainly be purchasing Book III. The closest comparison I can come to, and it is an imperfect one, is to the writing style of the late, great Patrick O'Brian. O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series builds up layers of description and detail gradually so that later on small actions have immense significance and impact. In this case a similar effect is achieved but the complex context of the central friendship is not a military vessel but a religious household.

Mirim loses her fiancé and bows reluctantly to tradition by preparing to consider new suitors. At nearly twenty Judah is old to be unmarried but he has not felt drawn to any of the girls offered as perspective bride. Partly it is because he wants a woman with more intelligence and learning, and a little less flesh, than most men prefer. But he is also aware that his desires are not quite like those of most of his peers. Homosexuality is a theme of the book but you should not approach it as a gay fiction, slash, romance or erotica book. This is primarily a story of Miriam's family and their lives. Judah's gradual recognition of the nature of his desires is a slowly developing subplot of a much richer, larger tale. Miriam and Judah are people whose lives are both enriched and constrained by their family and religious obligations, which provide the perfect setting for a tale about love as real people experience it. Many characters and subplots weave through the story of which Judah's is only one, but the one I (unsurprisingly) found particularly interesting and loaded with pathos.

I am not normally a reader much drawn to historicals, more literary works or those with religious themes. But I would strongly urge anyone who likes a good tale with a homosexual aspect to give this book a try. I gather Anton's books are most popular amongst people with an interest in Jewish fiction focusing on women's stories. She may, as some Amazon reader's review suggest, lose a few of her readers for embracing untidy but fascinating issues relating not only to religion but sexuality and relationships. I think she should gain even more readers who appreciate out intelligent, entertaining stories exactly for this kind of fresh approach. This is truly a book for the 'keeper' shelf.

Emily Veinglory is an ex-patriot New Zealander now living deep in the heart of Indiana, which is enough to make anyone want to write about werewolves, highwayman and inter-galactic prostitutes. She writes mainly gay romance with a dark twist, but sometimes something sweet or with a girl – just to mess with her readers’ heads. If you have feedback, requests or would like to see a sequel, please email!
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