A review by cyndin
Miriam: A Novel of Love and the Talmud in Medieval France by Maggie Anton

4.0

Book two in a trilogy about Rashi's three daughters. Amazing research of 11th century Jewish life in France and beyond. Anton is also a sex researcher and she weaves that into these books. In book one it was pretty heavy handed but worked. Here it gets rather overwhelming. Her focus in book two is on male homosexuality with characters that either "give in" to their desires or who resist them (or some of both). On and on and on. Breathing a sigh of relief that in our time people can marry as they wish and don't have to force themselves to settle for someone they can never be attracted to (thus ruining the life of their spouse as well).

Miriam's story with midwifery and ritual circumcision is well done. I also loved reading about the everyday lives of the people, including their sex lives, to a point. A lot of time passes in this book and all three daughters grow up and have independent lives, learning trades.