The Maiden of Jerusalem by Talia Carner

I cried near the end. I don’t do that too often with novels anymore, so it was a nice surprise. The story takes the reader to the conclusion without interruption of the action. I liked the main character, despite some of his silly teenage decisions.

The story of Esther, who lived in Jerusalem in the early 1900s, takes us into the life of the Jewish people who adhered to strict rules at a time when the plight of women was to have as many children as possible to provide for more Jews. to populate the country. zone. Esther rebels against that future, wanting to be an artist after realizing her talent. Through a series of adventures, she abandons her artwork, marries, has children, and finds her love for painting again, only to once again disappear from her life. . We live through the heartbreaking decisions she makes and wonder if we would do the same.

We watch her grow from a rebellious young woman in Israel to a rebellious, mature, married adult in Paris. We smell the smells, see the sights, hear the sounds, taste the foods and touch the fabrics she loves so much, as the novel becomes a sensory experience in her two worlds.

We stand in solidarity with this young woman who questions her faith and her strict rules, wondering what God wants her to do and not accepting the rules he imposes on her. We learn about Jewish customs and traditions from this time when women were held hostage to a male-dominated culture. Esther tries to do the right thing and not follow the heat of her passion; she tries to honor the religious beliefs she holds dear, until it’s too late to resist. There is joy, there is sadness. We remember how difficult it has been for women, even in the early 20th century, who wanted to pursue their own passions and how difficult it has been for women to choose between a religious belief and a personal destiny. Esther reminds us of those choices, good and bad. And yes, the role of religion is also good and bad.

We watch progress in history as religions and cultures change to allow a woman to be a voice. As I was reading this, I was wondering what the next step in the evolution of women would be. Will we one day be the ones to choose and decide? We think we’ve made it now, but I often wonder when I look back on what it was like and see how this is still a man’s world.

As I get older, I remember the choices I made, the ones where I walked away from temptations and I feel good about them now. I have few regrets. Maybe I was lucky. And you?