Book of Rachel

by Esther David

For years Rachel has been living alone in her house by the sea. Her husband is no more, her children have migrated to Israel as have the Bene Israel Jews who lived nearby.In her loneliness what helps is the evenness of her routine. It rests on two pillars: the synagogue in her village and the preparation of traditional Bene Israel Jewish food. The synagogue, where she was married, is now in her care and, every Friday, at the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath, she opens its rusty lock to sweep and clean it, hoping it will become the scene of communal gatherings again. The ancient recipes she prepares—alternately simple and at times elaborate: fried fish, green coconut curry, chik cha halwa, kippur chi puri—provide a link to her children as she looks forward to their return home.

When developers come up with a plan to acquire the synagogue and its surrounding land with the consent of the synagogue committee, it threatens to take away not only what is to her an emblem of her faith but also the hope of the return of a rich past. And Rachel emerges as an unlikely opponent. In Book of Rachel Esther David weaves a heart-warming tale of a woman’s battle to live life on her own terms. Both a gripping story and a chronicle of a unique community, it is part of the oeuvre which spans such critically acclaimed works as The Walled City and Book of Esther. Book of Rachel continues the saga of the Bene Israel Jews in India, and adds to her reputation as a writer of grace and power.

Genres: Fiction, Jewish, Judaism, Indian Literature

208 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2007

Reviews

[Catheriine · Rating 5 out of 5]

J'ai dévoré ce livre, comme les personnages de ce roman se délectent des recettes de Rachel, la dame juive-indienne qui entretient et préserve la synagogue abandonnée de son village. J'adore les romans sur les autres cultures, pays et traditions, surtout lorsqu'ils sont remplis de recettes authentiques, comme celui-ci. De plus, l'écriture est fluide et on sent qu'on fait partie de la famille de cette dame. L'autrice a réellement livré ici un roman très personnel et très réaliste, tout en partageant avec générosité sa culture et ses croyances. À savourer.

[Marie-Hélène · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mes sens furent en éveil avec ce roman. D'abord, j'avais été attirée par la couverture colorée de mandalas, mais dès les 1ères pages, ce sont les recettes de cette chaleureuse grand mère indienne qui m'ont fait saliver. Les parfums des plats épicés de Rachel nous titillent les narines à chaque début de chapitre. Et rapidement, nous sommes emporté dans ce petit village près de Bombay où Rachel, essaie de sauver sa synagogue et du même coup sa toute petite communauté juive noyée dans ce gigantesque pays. Cette petite femme, aimante, fidèle, maligne, têtue est vraiment touchante et la lecture est plaisante et dépaysante. Mais, assez parlé, il faut aller en cuisine, essayer quelques plats qui j'espère seront savoureux !!!!

[Padma Baliga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brings together the history of the Bene Israeli community, their customs and the food they eat

[Andréa Melnik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommandations : lire après avoir mangé, et pas quand on fait régime car ça donne faim...

[Bhavya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a cultural masterpiece on the Bene Israel Jews of India. It celebrates the power of food, faith, family and fortitude. What I loved about Esther David’s writing style is the manner in which she integrates a traditional recipe with every chapter.

[Miri BNeram · Rating 4 out of 5]

MS David's familiar, narrative style makes for a sweet read. The reader is drawn in to the cultural and emotional ethos with tangible characters and lush scene descriptions. Having a soft spot for anything involving cooking is a bonus. I need a glossary of the various ingredients however.

[Niharika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am deeply touched by the story. It was simple yet fascinating.
One of the reasons I loved this story was because it described all the lovely recipes that Rachel made and a story that was associated with it. It's like food has memory and that every single bite of a particular dish can remind you of an event in the past.
Another reason is the simplicity of the scenes that is described by the author, Esther David, in this book. Rachel lives by the seashore, alone in the house, making traditional Jewish food and taking care of the animals in her house. The typical Indian lifestyle described in this book made me feel attached to the story and the characters.
The recipes given before the beginning of every chapter was a unique feature of this book. The author has given a short recipe of a dish and the symbolic value of that particular dish before beginning a chapter. Every recipe made by Rachel seems to have some sort of magic that gets her through the troubles of life.
Besides, Esther David has used such beautiful imagery in the story that aptly describes the mood of a character and the situation. I loved how each time the weather and the clothes that Rachel wore depicted her mood.
The story was really engaging. Once I started reading, I found it very difficult to put the book down; the events took place one after the other so perfectly and swiftly that it kept me engaged and I was curious to know what would happen next.
I loved the personality of Rachel. She was old and thin but also bold in mind and steady in her approach. She was a "born fighter". She was a religious woman who could go to any limits to save her synagogue. Every time she left the complicated matters to be solved by Prophet Elijah made my heart smile. It reflected her faith and the belief that nothing could go wrong when God is with her.

Now I'm sure I'm going to try all the recipes mentioned in the book. Who knows, it would even help me to manipulate people. Afterall, as Rachel says, "The way to one's heart is through the stomach."

[Priya · Rating 3 out of 5]

A criminally underread Indian author, Esther David belongs to the Bene Israel community of India, believed to be descendants of a group of Jews who made their home here after they were shipwrecked on the subcontinent in 175 BCE.

The book is about Rachel Dandekar, an old woman who is the last remaining practicing Jew of her community in Danda, a town in the Raigad district of Maharashtra. Her children have migrated to Israel and the synagogue that was once maintained by the community remains unused, with only Rachel looking after it. And now, her simple life is disrupted when a builder decides to raze the synagogue and force her out of her sea-facing property with plans to build a resort in its place.

The book is beautifully written, a delicious story that is peppered with tidbits about the traditions and ethos of the Bene Israel community. Each chapter begins with a recipe, often ones that hold special significance for Rachel, recipes for good times, festivities, and bittersweet occasions, that show the character's love for tradition, recipes belonging to Maharashtra and sometimes other parts of India. The book also has a lot of Marathi, and that seems at times jarring and unnecessary (the characters keep saying 'nako' when I think they mean 'nahi' - unless I'm wrong about the dialect of Marathi they're using).

The best part of the book is the character of Rachel, a devout woman who stands firm as her faith is tested, who is in equal parts traditional and modern, vulnerable and strong. She's easy to love and root for, and pretty soon, I had a hard time believing the author would give her anything other than a happy ending. As someone who dove into the book knowing little about the community, I left with many answers and curious to read more work that draws from this well.

[Argha · Rating 3 out of 5]

More than just a cookbook...
If you ask me to name one thing that invariably reminds me of my grandfather, it would be a silver snuff-box the old man could hardly allow out of his sight. When I walked into the empty room after the cremation, the box was the only thing I wanted to keep around. I still have it wrapped and warm in my cupboard. In an otherwise flat, linear narrative, the moment when Rachel's daughter Zephra took the bunch of keys of the synagogue to the hospital with the belief that it might breathe life into her ailing mother, was the highlight of this book for me and it took me back to this late teenage memory.
Book of Rachel is about the life of an old, lonely, Jewish, evolving woman trying to save a dilapidating synagogue, she has been taking care of for decades. The chapters begin with the descriptions of iconic Jewish dishes and David elegantly uses this unusual modus operandi to weave a comprehensive understanding of the characters.
Despite being an avid supporter of happy resolution I must say that there is an ostentatious celebration of religious optimism and reciprocated faith throughout the book and it somehow narrowed the chances of narrative exploration.
In a nutshell Book of Rachel is undoubtedly a pleasurable one time read but leaves nothing more than a handful of Jewish delicacies behind.

[Sidharth Vardhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm trying to read Sahitya academy award winners in English and I have come across several books from across the country and it's numerous cultures. This one deals with the Jewish minority of the country. The most beautiful thing really in this book is the character of Rachel - who seems an excellent example of someone inheriting multiple cultures. Her religion is Judaism but she wears sarees and worships in songs that are modified versions of those dedicated to Krishna. Her refusal to leave for Israel too shows a sense of belonging. The indo-jewish cuisine recepies mentioned at begining of each chapter too celebrate this way of life. The story, for Mos part, pivots around her effort to save a synagogue - a symbol of a golden past, now nearly in ruins and facing threat of being replaced with a hotel.

It is, however, hard to care much about the tension thus generated and the prose wasn't always gripping either.

[Martine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le cadre, la communauté juive en Inde n'est pas banal ; le personnage principal, une vieille dame qui ne se laisse pas marcher sur les pieds non plus ! Il y a beaucoup de tendresse dans les descriptions de Rachel et de sa vie simple, règie par des traditions religieuses et culinaires. Elle est douce et fèroce, drôle et énnervante avec ses lubies et ses trous de mémoire sélectifs. Ce qui est domage, c'est qu'une fois l'intrigue principale résolue - presque trop discrètement - il reste quelques chapitres "et ils vécurent..." dont on peut largement se passer.
Des recettes sont données en début de chaque chapitre avec des notes culturelles, puis la preparation ou la conxomation est intégré dans l'histoire.

[Calixthe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honnêtement, je n'ai pas réussi à le finir. Si le contexte est intéressant, la forme avec les recettes à chaque début de chapitre fait rêver, le style ne m'a pas convaincue. Je l'ai trouvé trop plat, trop fade par rapport au contexte, à l'histoire. J'aurais aimé quelque chose de plus poétique. J'aurais aimé sentir les épices, m'attacher plus aux personnages et je n'ai pas réussi. L'histoire, aussi, ne m'a pas accrochée. C'était un peu trop évident. On sait ce qu'il va se passer, il n'y a aucun suspense.
Clairement, je pense que j'aurais préféré voir cette histoire adaptée en un joli film un peu poétique et touchant que de la lire en roman.

[Brigitte Garnier · Rating 2 out of 5]

C'est une histoire à laquelle je n'ai pas accroché. Ce roman m'a permis de connaître la culture juive, un peu grâce aux définitions et précisions. Le fait d'avoir mis des recettes à chaque fin de chapitre, pourquoi pas ? Je pense les tester un jour. Ce roman ne m'a pas procuré d'attachement tant dans la lecture que dans les personnages.

[Sruthi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,75 stars

[SaraB]

I wanted to love it, but I didn't care for anything that wasn't either recipes or culture. I did like the ending, positive.

[Ocean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had actually randomly stumbled upon this book, and I’m so glad i decided to buy it.

The book was so visual and real it sometimes made me feel like i was a ghost just floating around Rachel’s house and seeing life through her eyes.
The writing. You ever feel just plain satisfied reading a book? Well this book was just like that. The writing felt as smooth as butter and the story felt like home.
I found out later that the book also received an award and rightly so.

More than anything, this book was about exploring to me. To my embarrassment I did not know anything about the culture and traditions this book talks about and now I certainly feel a lot more educated.

I loved the use of native words that were smoothly inserted between sentences and despite not knowing a lot of them, words like “nako”, “bombay catamaran”, “bombil”, “sari” certainly made it feel personal.

Also the backstories, beautiful.

Overall, a good warm read.

[Elsa Tröbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Histoire d'une vieille dame qui ne veut pas se laisser spoiler de la synagogue qui jouxte sa maison, et dont elle est la seule désormais à s'occuper. Ses trois enfants sont partis vivre en Israël si bien qu'elle se retrouve un peu isolée du reste de la communauté juive d'Inde. Chaque chapitre commence avec une recette de cuisine tirée des traditions culinaires juives d'Inde. Ca m'a fait penser aux Délices de Tokyo : la vieillesse qui permet de transmettre.

[Jane E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jewish Indian chick lit. A somewhat unusual category. This is not a "gripping story" as the blurb would suggest. Rather it is interesting only because of the glimpses afforded into the Bene Israel Jewish community and, to me specifically, because I know the geographic area where it is set. That aside it is a somewhat unbelievable story where an Indian land shark is actually a nice man who is willing to forgo his deposit to help someone (never happens!) and everything works out in the end. (Purchased at the Oxford Bookshop in Ahmedabad, India)

[Dolly Louvois · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved this book !

[Nounene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mon petit avis sur le livre : https://deslecturesetdesailes.wordpre...