by Rachel Kadish
Reviewed by Cyndi
Kadish seamlessly weaves together the lives of two remarkable women – one from the 17th century and one from the 21st – in a sophisticated story. Ester Velasquez is a 17th century Jewish woman with an incredible intellect and a thirst for knowledge at a time when educating women was not permitted, and was often deemed dangerous. Her story of struggle and sacrifice in pursuit of an intellectual life is slowly revealed through the eyes of Helen Watt, an historian who has made sacrifices of her own.