I
am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the REBEL DAUGHTER by Lori Banov Kaufmann Blog
Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the
giveaway!
About
The Book:
Author: Lori Banov Kaufmann
Pub.
Date: February 9, 2021
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 400
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org
A
young woman survives the unthinkable in this tale of family, love, and
resilience, set against the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE.
Esther dreams of so much more than the marriage her parents have arranged to a prosperous silversmith. Always curious and eager to explore, she must accept the burden of being the dutiful daughter. Yet she is torn between her family responsibilities and her own desires; she longs for the handsome Jacob, even though he treats her like a child, and is confused by her attraction to the Roman freedman Tiberius, a man who should be her sworn enemy.
Meanwhile, the growing turmoil threatens to tear apart not only her beloved city, Jerusalem, but also her own family. As the streets turn into a bloody battleground between rebels and Romans, Esther’s journey becomes one of survival. She remains fiercely devoted to her family, and braves famine, siege, and slavery to protect those she loves.
This emotional and impassioned saga, based on real characters and meticulous research, seamlessly blends the fascinating story of the Jewish people with a timeless protagonist determined to take charge of her own life against all odds.
Based on an incredible true story!
AUTHOR NOTE AND HISTORICAL OVERVIEW:
Additional
back matter includes an Author Note, which gives historical context and
explains author’s inspiration for the book. Included as well is an historical
overview by an eminent scholar of the period.
CHARACTER DRIVEN HISTORICAL FICTION:
Fans
of THE RED TENT and THE DOVEKEEPERS will appreciate this incredibly detailed
and accurate depiction of historical events, woven within a richly told and
emotionally complex story of growth.
STRONG EMPOWERED FEMALE HEROINE:
Despite
the constraints of society and the savagery of war, Esther is an independent
thinker exploring her identity and her faith—and showing unimaginable strength
in the face of trauma.
HISTORY BROUGHT TO LIFE:
The
destruction of the Temple in 70 CE by the Romans is a crucial part of the
Jewish story, but it’s often lost amid more well known historical legends. The
depiction of Esther’s faith is realistic and moving to a modern audience.
FAITH:
The
role of faith and family obligation is explored in depth.
The story will resonate with people who love Biblical history, Israel and stories about faith, courage and family bonds.
REVIEWS:
“Esther’s remarkable, mysterious, and meticulously researched story is one that demands to be told.”—Kirkus Reviews
“The writing is clear, smooth, and accessible. An engaging story for historical fiction fans.”—School Library Journal
"Riveting!" Allegra Goodman, author The Cookbook Collector
Selected by the Junior Library Guild
Book
Trailer:
Excerpt:
Chapter II
After the
incident with the Roman soldiers, her father seemed to age years. The cut on
his face healed, but he now walked with a cane. Slow, tentative steps replaced
his once-brisk stride. They used to learn together in the early evenings—her
favorite part of the day—but no more. He was too tired, he’d say. She missed
his small, dark study, its shelves stacked with rolled parchment scrolls, its
smell of the wax tablets.
The lessons
had started when Esther was a little girl. Initially Hanan had tried to teach
her older brothers, Yehuda and Shimon, the words of the prophets and the law.
Yehuda had quickly outgrown their father’s teachings and gone to the study
house to learn with Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai, the renowned scholar. Shimon
made shadow pictures on the wall every time Hanan bent over the scrolls. She
couldn’t understand how Shimon was bored by the same stories she found so
exciting: Cain killing his brother, Abraham lifting the blade to his own son,
and Joseph languishing in prison. Esther would sit on the floor in the corner,
hugging her knees to her chest, hanging on to every word.
Sarah, her
mother, would peer into the study and cast a disapproving glance. One eye, half-shaded
by a drooping, pink eyelid, seemed to see right inside Esther. There was no
hiding Esther’s greed for learning; her mother knew everything.
“Why are
you filling the girl’s head with Torah stories?” her mother asked. “Will this
help her suckle a child or knead dough? Will this teach her the laws of
purity?”
“She
thirsts for knowledge,” Hanan explained. “And her mind is like a plastered
cistern that doesn’t lose a drop. Besides, what else should she be doing?”
Sarah
placed her hands on her hips. “The Gamaliel girls are spinning flax on their
roof. They’re eking out the last little bit of moonlight to be productive.”
Hanan shook
his head. “Their mother is putting them on display so everyone will think
they’re hard workers. They’re not spinning for yarn. They’re spinning for
husbands.”
Despite
Sarah’s protests, Hanan never made Esther leave the study. One day, Shimon
didn’t show up. When he didn’t come the next day, or the day after that, Esther
moved from the floor to the bench. Hanan continued to tell her stories but
balked when Esther said she wanted to learn to read Hebrew.
“Girls
don’t read,” he said.
“What about
Deborah? She was one of the Judges. She saved Israel from disasters.”
He smiled
indulgently. “You’re going to save the Jewish people from disaster?”
“Maybe,”
she said. “Queen Esther did.”
“Yes, she
did.”
“It even
says in the Megillah that Queen Esther wrote a letter. So she must have known
how to read too!”
Hanan sat
back in his chair. Esther could tell he was trying not to smile.
“And besides,”
she added, eager to press her advantage, “I’ll have to read my marriage
contract, won’t I?” With that, Esther knew she had won.
Tonight,
for the first time since the attack, Hanan called her into his study. Esther
bounded into his room and sat down. He walked to his desk with a laborious
shuffle and lowered himself onto the chair. She hoped she still remembered the
Greek letters he’d been teaching her. She had learned to read and write in
Hebrew faster than he’d anticipated, and now they were starting on Greek.
Her father
put the fingertips of each hand together, like a temple in the air. She reached
for the abacus on his desk, moved the small beads up and down in their grooves,
waiting for him to speak. The echoes of the click, click, click of bronze beads
hovered in the air.
“I’ve
always been a counter too,” he said at last. “That’s what I do. I count the
columns in the portico, the shekels in the treasury, the hides to be sold, the
jars of incense. I count the wages of the stonemasons and bricklayers and
carpenters.”
He sighed
and sat back. “Even though Yom Kippur is past, I’m still making lists, counting
all the good things I’ve done and all the bad.”
“You don’t
have any bad deeds,” Esther said.
“Everyone
who has lived has erred. I’ve sinned against God. I’m angry with Him for giving
life, then taking it away.
“What are
you talking about? God isn’t taking anything away.”
“Not yet,
but He will. I used to count how many days I lived; now I count how many I have
left.”
“I don’t
like when you talk like this.”
“The truth
often makes us uncomfortable,” he said, then smiled sadly. “But the thing about
the truth is that it doesn’t go away if we ignore it. And the truth is that no
one lives forever. I want to make sure you and the family will be safe when I’m
gone. You know, most girls are betrothed by the time they’re thirteen.”
Esther knew
the road she was supposed to take, but she didn’t want to travel it—at least
not yet. She wanted to see where the other roads went first.
“I can’t
get married now! If I’m married, I’ll have to move to my husband’s house, and
we won’t be able to continue my studies. Even if my husband lets me read, I
won’t have time.”
Hanan
sighed. “Maybe your mother was right about filling your head with learning.” He
sat up in the chair. “Esther, you need someone from a good family to be
responsible for you.”
“Why can’t
I be responsible for myself?”
“You’re a
woman. You need a man to protect you, especially now, with all the unrest.”
Esther
frowned. “There’s always unrest. The Romans have tormented us for years.”
“You’re
right. But now people want to fight back.”
“Good. I
hope we kill all of them.”
“Esther!”
he admonished. “How can you say that?”
“How can
you not after what they did to you?”
A pained
expression crossed his face. “I thought we had agreed not to talk about that.”
The truth often makes us uncomfortable. She bit her lip.
After a
long pause, he said, “Those were a few soldiers having their sport. Yes, the
Romans can be coarse and greedy, but they’re not forbidding our prayers and
customs. Besides, Judea is a small province with no army. How can we defeat the
most powerful empire in the world?”
“Yehuda
says we will.” Her older brother claimed that it was written in the Holy Scripture:
at the End of Days, the Jews will vanquish their enemy, and God will establish
His kingdom on Earth. “Yehuda said the prophets have already predicted our
victory.”
“I’ve read
the prophecies of Daniel and Isaiah too. You can find anything in there.”
Esther
squirmed in her seat. She didn’t want to talk about war…or marriage. “Can we
learn now?” she asked.
“Maybe
another time,” he sighed. “It’s late.”
About Lori Banov Kaufmann:
As
soon as she learned of the discovery of the first-century tombstone that
inspired Rebel Daughter, Lori Banov Kaufmann wanted to know more. She was
captivated by the ancient love story the stone revealed and resolved to bring
it back to life.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Lori was a strategy consultant for high-tech companies. She has an AB from Princeton University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. She lives in Israel with her husband and four adult children.
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads |
Amazon
Giveaway
Details:
2 winners will win a finished copy of REBEL DAUGHTER & Swag, International.
Tour
Schedule:
Week
One:
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2/1/2021 |
Review |
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2/2/2021 |
Review |
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2/3/2021 |
Review |
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2/4/2021 |
Excerpt |
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2/5/2021 |
Excerpt |
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2/6/2021 |
Review |
Week
Two:
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2/7/2021 |
Excerpt |
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2/8/2021 |
Excerpt |
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2/9/2021 |
Review |
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2/10/2021 |
Review |
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2/11/2021 |
Review |
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2/12/2021 |
Excerpt |
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2/13/2021 |
Excerpt |
Week
Three:
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2/14/2021 |
Review |
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2/15/2021 |
Review |
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2/16/2021 |
Review |
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2/17/2021 |
Review |
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2/18/2021 |
Review |
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2/19/2021 |
Review |
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2/20/2021 |
Excerpt |
Week
Four:
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2/21/2021 |
Review |
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2/22/2021 |
Excerpt |
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2/23/2021 |
Review |
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2/24/2021 |
Review |
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2/25/2021 |
Spotlight |
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2/26/2021 |
Review |
