scytale's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
sofiazubkova's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mayoje23's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
findyourgoldenhour's review against another edition
4.0
What a beautifully original novel! If you like your historical fiction to also be philosophical explorations on the meaning of life, then this is the book for you. And by "historical fiction" I mean first century CE. In the acknowledgements, the author says the historical portions of the book are drawn from Talmudic sources on the first-century sage Yochanan ben Zakkai (a character in this novel), on the Jewish revolt at against Rome, and on the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 CE. So it goes waaay back in time, and includes some Jewish mysticism. I've never read anything like it.
The main character Rachel finds herself in ancient times with a dying child, and she does what any parent does in that situation: she bargains with God. She promises to give her life in order to save her son. And she does sacrifice her life, but instead of dying, the bargain with God keeps her from dying, forever. She is forced to live hundreds of lives, loving and losing husbands and children, over and over again. We meet her in the present day as an 84-year-old grandmother in New York. She watches her children and grandchildren obsessing over their own mortality, and she desperately wishes she could die. Not in the ways we usually see in an elderly grandmother, because she is old and in pain and is ready to say goodbye after a life well lived. But because she knows all too well what it really means to live forever, and she just can't take it anymore.
No one wants to die. No one wants to grow old, only to watch their loved ones die. We want to delay losing our loved ones for as long as we can. Of course we do. And yet. Reading this book makes you realize there is a natural order to things: the younger generations will and should continue to be born. The older generations will and should eventually leave to make room for them. Reading this book also puts your tiny short lifespan in perspective; even if you live to be 100, you are here for a blink of an eye, for a mere snapshot of human history. And I loved Rachel's perspective as a parent, and her impatience with her children; yes, all older generations look at how kids are doing things these days and shake their heads, but I loved how the author could play with the span of time and really give perspective. There really is nothing new under the sun, just new people doing it.
I wanted this book to be longer, to explore the characters more deeply. I'm grateful to have found this author, and I plan to read her other books.
The main character Rachel finds herself in ancient times with a dying child, and she does what any parent does in that situation: she bargains with God. She promises to give her life in order to save her son. And she does sacrifice her life, but instead of dying, the bargain with God keeps her from dying, forever. She is forced to live hundreds of lives, loving and losing husbands and children, over and over again. We meet her in the present day as an 84-year-old grandmother in New York. She watches her children and grandchildren obsessing over their own mortality, and she desperately wishes she could die. Not in the ways we usually see in an elderly grandmother, because she is old and in pain and is ready to say goodbye after a life well lived. But because she knows all too well what it really means to live forever, and she just can't take it anymore.
No one wants to die. No one wants to grow old, only to watch their loved ones die. We want to delay losing our loved ones for as long as we can. Of course we do. And yet. Reading this book makes you realize there is a natural order to things: the younger generations will and should continue to be born. The older generations will and should eventually leave to make room for them. Reading this book also puts your tiny short lifespan in perspective; even if you live to be 100, you are here for a blink of an eye, for a mere snapshot of human history. And I loved Rachel's perspective as a parent, and her impatience with her children; yes, all older generations look at how kids are doing things these days and shake their heads, but I loved how the author could play with the span of time and really give perspective. There really is nothing new under the sun, just new people doing it.
I wanted this book to be longer, to explore the characters more deeply. I'm grateful to have found this author, and I plan to read her other books.
alrightmax's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
sonia_reppe's review against another edition
5.0
Rachel has a lot of time to consider the reasons for living because she can't die. She lives life after life due to an oath she and her lover made 2000 years ago. She has come to see this eternal life as a curse.
Presently she is living in America, putting her faith in genetic research and experiments. She gets together with her devoted lover every now and again and they share a bond as only two people stuck with the same curse can. Thought-provoking and original, with some Jewish mysticism. An impressive and compelling read. The end surprised me and moved me.
Presently she is living in America, putting her faith in genetic research and experiments. She gets together with her devoted lover every now and again and they share a bond as only two people stuck with the same curse can. Thought-provoking and original, with some Jewish mysticism. An impressive and compelling read. The end surprised me and moved me.
ellasiffscherr's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Really well written and thoroughly thought out.
jerseygrrrl's review against another edition
3.0
Lovely to dive into a book that is so wholly Jewish. I was completely enamored by this book until about 75% of the way in. Then I got frustrated by Rachel's horrible communication skills and bad decision making. But I supposed no one is perfect, right? Even if you have lived 2000 years.