Published: 2017
Genre: fiction
length: 560 pages
For me, one of the great joys of reading is to be transported to a different world and a different time. This is certainly true of this work which relays two parallel stories. One is set in contemporary England where Helen, an academic at the end of her career, has stumbled upon the finding of a lifetime when a cache of 17th century documents is discovered. With the assistance of her teaching assistant (TA), she concludes that these documents, dictated by a blind Rabbi, were actually scribed by an anonymous woman whom she names ’Aleph’. The second story is the story of Aleph.
What follows is a mystery, a love story and a glimpse into the life of the Jewish community during 17th century England. Personally, I found the story of Aleph/Ester the more compelling of the two and perhaps the author could have made the read less ‘weighty’ by editing some of the contemporary storyline especially with respect to the TA Aaron Levy. But overall, I found this great escapist literature. One truly felt whisked away to another place, another time and another culture. Also, as a student of religious history, I found the details of 17th century Judaism fascinating.
Ultimately this is a book that explores the questions of voices: whose voice gets heard and whose does not.
The Weight of Ink is available in paperback, hardcover, eBook, and audio book.
Janet's theme song should probably be the Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road." She was born in England and raised in Canada. She had a varied career before turning to Ministry. She has found her perfect Church Home at Mapleton Church of Christ (Disciples) where she has served for almost 16 years. She is also the one of the co-pastors of St. Thomas Christian Church. In addition to her church families, she is thoroughly blessed in her son Eric, her daughter-in-law Stephanie and, of course, her beautiful granddaughter Mackenzie. She is one of Roots + Wings’ curators.