The Ninth Day

by Ruth Tenzer Feldman

In this companion novel following the Oregon Book Award-winning  Blue Thread , Ruth Tenzer Feldman once again weaves a tale full of history, culture, and fantasy. Hope Friis has struggled with a severe stutter her entire life. As the 1960s Free Speech Movement gains ground in her hometown of Berkeley, California, Hope embarks on a journey back in time—guided by her time-traveling ancestor, Serakh—to the city of Paris, circa 1099 A.D. Her to save the newborn son of the young woman, Dolcette, and find the courage to become a young woman of strength and conviction.

Genres: Young Adult, Time Travel, Historical Fiction, France, 11th Century

288 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2013

About the author

Ruth is an award-winning author of books and articles, mainly for children and young adults. Her three companion novels...Blue Thread, The Ninth Day, and Seven Stitches...combine speculative and historical fiction with a time travel twist. Blue Thread won the Leslie Bradshaw Award for Young Adult Literature in 2012 and was listed by the American Library Association as one of the best feminist books for young adults. Ruth's 10 nonfiction books focus on history and biography, while her articles range from leeches to Einstein’s refrigerator. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, innumerable dust mites, and a vivid imagination.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before beginning The Ninth Day, I was unsure about what to expect, given the captivating nature of its predecessor, Blue Thread. Yet what I found was much greater than ever anticipated--I loved every moment of The Ninth Day, and perhaps enjoyed it even more than the first Serakh saga installation. Feldman's bold decision to create a protagonist with both a stutter and a physical deformity ultimately framed what became a stunning representation of what it means to advocate for free speech. The 1960s backdrop seamlessly wove into the novel's events, and allowed for a truly comprehensive interpretation of all sides of the free speech movement: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Its brazen commentary on hallucinogenic drugs, alongside its refreshingly honest take on grief and loss, and the true impact of how much words can actually hurt, allows for a strong female protagonist that can easily serve as an inspiration to YA readers everywhere. The connection between Middle Age Paris and 1960s Portland, woven together with Judaic culture and the framework of the seven nights of Hanukkah, was surprisingly strong and quite unique; I found myself enthusiastic to continue reading in the hopes that the connection would come to fruition. When Miriam Hope's true purpose was revealed, I was pleased at how unique this purpose was, and also at how thoroughly it tied the contrasting ends of the novel together. While I initially had hoped for a different sort of ending, in which Hope conquered her stutter and boldly made a life-changing speech that saved the whole world (or something dramatic like that), I was quite thrilled at Feldman's ability to create not only a realistic ending, but also one that did not simply tie everything together with a bow and blue thread and sunshine and rainbows. Too often YA novels shy from reality and promote protagonists and other characters that are unrealistic and "flat"--that is not the case with The Ninth Day. The characters are bold, the commentary honest, the magical elements beautiful, and the overall story captivating. Could not recommend enough.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Then if you are looking for a historical fiction fantasy story that connects to Hanukkah and has some suspense and conflict a fun book to read is, The Ninth Day, by Ruth Tenzer Feldman.
The Ninth Day pairs the Free Speech Movement in Berkeley in 1964 with an attack on the Rhineland Jews during the First Crusade. This is quite a clever way to lay out this story with alternating chapters of the more modern day lives of sixteen year old, Miriam Hope and her family in 1964, or 5725 in Berkeley, California and Paris in the year 4860. It is the week of Hanukkah and as Miriam Hope is recovering from a bad drug trip at a party she attended with her sister, she meets up Serakh, daughter of Asher, who can appear in a burst of blue light and travel through time, from past to present day and back again. Miriam’s grandmother was a helper who traveled with Serakh by wearing a special tallit. Now for Hanukkah her grandfather passes the tallit to Miriam. Serakh appears and has a task for Miriam to help her solve. The chapters are divided into the eight days of Hanukkah and Miriam has only a week to solve the problem at hand.

The story is intriguing and you will want to follow along with Miriam as she grows and matures while trying to help Dolcette, a young mother protect her baby from harm in Paris of 1099, at the time of the first Crusade. Miriam Hope must find her voice, both learning to accept her stutter and learning to speak up for herself, confront her personal mistakes and help Dolcette or face the terrible consequences. Author Ruth Tenzer Feldman says, “Judaism was the garden plot I happened to be born to tend, and so that’s where I reap and sow.”

[Joanna Szabo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this series a few months ago, with Blue Thread. I liked Blue Thread, but The Ninth Day really pushes the series forward for me. While it took me a little while to settle into the narrative, and it was somewhat scattered throughout (understandable, given the time travel and LSD, but still disorienting), I was instantly attached to Miriam Hope, which carried through the book. She’s given an important role, and it’s not some “chosen one” thing that doesn’t give her her own power.

But the heart of this story is what grabbed me and, given everything right now, wouldn’t let go. I mean…free speech uprisings in the 1960s? The Crusades? These themes are both extremely prevalent in my mind today, and I appreciated the time I could spend with this book and help process some of my concerns for our present day society.

This series covers some important themes, but definitely has a younger YA approach. Don’t come in expecting dark, gritty, and mature YA. Miriam’s voice is young, a little naïve, and ultimately hopeful. Yet the book also resisted the tied-up-in-a-bow sort of endings that feel so inauthentic and unhelpful in applying to the real world. There’s also more of a family element to this book that I found I really enjoyed. It added complexity and heart to the character.

[Hilary Louth · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I loved The Blue Thread, I felt that Ninth Day fell a little bit short of that one. Part of the issue for me was the treatment of LSD (spoilers ahead). I felt that having the main character use LSD to fix the problem at the end was unethical and uncharacteristic of Miriam Hope. The whole book begins when she causes herself great harm when her sister doesn't tell her that she's giving her food laced with LSD. Then, her solution to a problem later is to feed someone LSD without telling them? I mean, yes, it worked--but I'm not sure how to feel about this book's message on drugs or consent.

Other than that, this was an enjoyable read. Ruth's prose is always fun, her plot creative, and her characters memorable.

[Shoshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful sequel to The Blue Thread. I was quickly pulled into the life of Miriam's granddaughter, Miriam Hope. The details of the 1960s and of medieval Paris were rich and clear, and I could easily picture both settings as Hope traverses them. Serakh also makes another important appearance and we get some more details about how her abilities and duties work.

Hope has had a rough life in some ways, made even worse after an awful accidental LSD trip that left her with a large scar on her face. It was very easy for me to sympathize with Hope and cheer her on as the protagonist. And her efforts to help Dolcette and Avram are compassionate but logical and I appreciated her thought process throughout it all.

I love Feldman's writing style and learning more about Jewish culture and history as I read these fun time travel stories. I can't wait to read the third book and see what's next.

[Sylvia McIvers · Rating 4 out of 5]

d-d-d-did you read the story about the girl who stuttered? Miriam Hope (call me Hope) is in the choir because she never stutters when singing. Her sister is out to have fun, and what's more fun than LSD? Except for the stupid things you do when high. And the flashbacks. And spending the next six weeks with your face bandaged. Her brother is OK, but not much of a help during flashbacks. And that bright blue light shining under Grandpa's door? That's gotta be a flashback, right? It sure can't be real. And the woman wearing a caftan must be one of sis's drug-friends, because time travel isn't real. Right? RIGHT?

Serach bas-Asher, time traveling guru! Cool! And you don't have to read the previous book to understand this one, also cool. Grandpa gives Miriam the talit with the blue string that once belonged to Grandma Miriam, and tells her not to use it. But it's beautiful, and lets her time travel with Search's help.

Also there's this cute boy. Who is possibly in love with sis. And is really smart. And goes to protests. And going to protests is going to get Miriam kicked out of choir if she's caught. But Miriam can't send time on this boy, because she has a baby to save ... hundreds of years ago.

Cover art: Ladies, it is important to shave your armpits! Much more important to show your pits than to show your face while wearing a 'free speech' button.

The Good:
* Let's go to France! where LSD is rare but found on bad rye bread.
* Time Traveling guru Serach can't solve the problem, she can only find the right person.
* Happy family! This is the second book in a row that I read that has a mostly supportive family, even though all the parents and siblings are busy with their own things.
* Grandpa is old. Really old. He misses his wife. Cue, Miriam and the hanky scene. *sniffle*

The Bad:
* "Hey loosen up" is not the same as "let me drug you for your own good." - bad sister!
* Hubby wants to kill the baby, but Wife won't leave. Because she loves Hubby. Ouch. Too real.
* Miriam doesn't sing Grandpa's favorite song because her face got hurt. But he's so old!

The Double Take:
* Miriam's face got damaged HOW???? Oh poor baby *bawls*
* Hubby wants to kill the baby because he had a vision that he must sacrafice his son to save the city??? And Hubby is trying to find a way not to have to kill the baby??? But he must because vision. And Vision because LSD. *boggles*
* Choir master decides WHAT??? *spoiler spoiler spoiler* I would never have expected that.

[Lisa Hein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruth Tenzer Feldman continues her Blue Thread saga with the follow-up novel The Ninth Day, complete with generational time slips and a new "Miryam," Miriam Hope Friis (or Hope). Though connected to the first book, The Ninth Day is separate enough that you can read this book first and still feel like you know what's going on. Hope, the granddaughter of Blue Thread-protagonist Miriam, accompanies returning time-traveler Serakh on a journey to eleventh-century Paris to help a young child in need.

Hope is much less composed and confident than her grandmother, which I thought was a nice contrast from the first novel. It's refreshing to see a flawed character that is able to struggle and evolve over the course of the book. Like Blue Thread, the story revolves around a political issue, this one being the 1960s Free Speech movement, and a journey back in time to help someone in need.

I did think the novel lacked a bit in its structure and pacing. The ending came quickly and Hope was juggling too many struggles—the LSD trip, stuttering, personal comparisons, political demonstration, time traveling—for me to connect with just one. My biggest qualm with this book is my issue with this series as a whole: I'd like to see more explanation around how the time-traveling works and could spend more time getting to know the character Serakh. Though I was familiar with Serakh from her role in Blue Thread, I didn't gain a much deeper insight into her through this novel, which is a shame as she is the character that intrigues me the most.

[Gloria Mulvihill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read and very much enjoyed Ruth's first book, Blue Thread, I picked Ninth Day up with somewhat high expectations. I found myself immediately drawn to and empathizing with Hope, the protagonist of this novel. Her story is mysterious and somewhat frightening, and I couldn't put the book down until I figured out what happened and how she was going to move on after such a horrific accident. Serakh was a familiar and welcome character, and I fell in love with her odd, kind, and nurturing ways all over again.

I found this storyline to be a bit scattered, with too much time spent on the protests on campus and not enough time spent fleshing out Hope's intertwining with Dolcette and her baby. I also found Hope's siblings particularly odious and unlikable, which made any portion of the book with them in it frustrating to get through.

Overall, I did not enjoy Ninth Day quite as much as I enjoyed Blue Thread, but I still found it a solid, diverting, and intriguing read. The great thing about Ruth's books is you don't necessarily have to read them in order, but when you do, you discover little threads (pun intended) connecting all the characters as well as references to previous happenings. If you're a fan of teen fiction with a mystical/historical fiction twist, these are the books (and the author) for you.

[Tenaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picking up this type of book was something of an anomaly for me. A young adult, Jewish, time traveling story? But I trusted the person who recommended it, so I went in with an open mind. I'm glad I did.

Feldman's character Hope is dynamic and her inner struggles draw in the reader. Her stuttering nearly traps her in her own world. I was transfixed by her quiet strength through her speech impediment, as well as the traumatic events that took place before the first pages. Her relationships with the various secondary characters are colorful and believable.

My only criticism is probably a result of having not read The Blue Thread, this book's companion, which judging by the summary takes place a good deal before this story. I'm assuming the mechanics of the time traveling element and Hope's mysterious ancestor are established in the the companion. While I was able to understand the fanciful parts of The Ninth Day without trouble, it kind of seemed like the author expected that her readers were already familiar with how her time traveling worked from the last book; the explanation seemed a little perfunctory.

All in all, it was a well-rounded story with believable characters and an excellent world. I would happily recommend it.

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I didn't like that one as much as I liked the first one, I still enjoyed this book. The adventure begins again with Miriam's granddaughter as she fights to save a woman's baby boy in Paris 1099 while learning to find her voice despite her stutter.

In the heat of the Free Speech Movement in Berkley, Hope is forced to make some tough decisions about her beliefs on free speech and whether or not she is strong enough to not only fight her battles, but the battles of a young woman and her baby in 9th century Paris. Throughout the book, Hope finds out that she is stronger that she could have ever believed possible, and that despite the stutter that often keeps her from speaking, she has a voice, and an important one at that.

A great read for young and old alike, readers will be sucked in to the world that Ruth has created as she once again blends events of hundreds of years to with a past that is not so far behind the present. Constantly engaging, this book leaves us wanting even more and we can only guess what will come next.

[Chelsea Lobey · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Ninth Day” is the sequel novel to Tenzer Feldman’s first novel “Blue Thread,” in which we meet the first Miriam’s granddaughter, also named Miriam. She travels through time like the “Blue Thread” Miriam, but deals with significantly different life struggles and obstacles. Yet both Miriam’s experience very real human emotions like doubt, frustration, sadness and happiness.

I found “The Ninth Day” to be a better written and more enjoyable novel than “Blue Thread.” The character felt more relatable and interesting, and this book was much better for the relative lack of forced references to the city it takes place in.

I understand that Miriam’s stutter was a very significant part of her character and was integral to her character’s development (her “finding her voice” and all), but I think the stutter does get a bit tiring to read after awhile. I was grateful for the times that Miriam thought things instead of saying them out loud. However, despite this, I found that I enjoyed and was swept away by this book.

[Maeko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hope Friis may be a high school teen in 1960s Berkeley, but her ability to take care of her family and help change the fate of Dolcette’s child in 1099 Paris makes her a character that seems much older than a teenager. Having never read Ruther Tenzer Feldman’s works, I decided to do the semi-rebellious thing and read the companion novel first. I mainly chose this path to discover whether or not The Ninth Day could stand on its own. My conclusion: it’s its own story. With that being said, after finishing the novel, I almost would have liked to read Blue Thread first, but Feldman does an excellent situating the reader in the plot without hitting them over the head with backstory. I especially loved the fantastical elements of the story — Hope’s time travel between 1960s Berkeley and 1099 Paris. Feldman also does a nice job weaving history and Jewish culture into this fictional YA novel. Although I found parts of The Ninth Day to be entertaining, it definitely reads like a novel for young adults.

[Jenna W · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second novel in the Blue Thread Saga, The Ninth Day is a powerful sequel to Blue Thread. Ninth Day incorporates many of the same elements as its predecessor: history, time-travel, and a strong female protagonist. Shy Hope (Blue Thread Miriam’s granddaughter) is visited by the same mysterious Serakh that Miriam traveled through time with. Armed again the with notorious prayer shawl, Hope’s mission is uniquely her own, and she travels from 1960’s Berkeley during the free speech movement, to 11th century Paris to save a newborn baby’s life. Though Hope was not strong-headed like Miriam, I was still happy to see her quiet and introspective strength. The free speech movement was just as important to Hope as the women’s suffrage movement was to Miriam, and the historical context weaved in with the story was once again, a shining aspect of the book. I would recommend this book to any young reader, and I think it could be particularly powerful to younger girls who struggle with shyness.

[luv4pez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ninth Day is the second book in the author's series about a blue thread on a prayer shawl that transports the owner far back in time to help resolve an issue while at the same time dealing with their personal present day struggles. It's not necessary to read the first book, but there are characters that appear in both books and references to The Blue Thread (the first book).

The Ninth Day was great, even better than the first story in the series. It sets a good pace and keeps the reader guessing as to what happened to Hope before the story began. I learned more about the Free Speech Movement in Berkeley and the Jewish religion.

It's an interesting fantasy, historical fiction that is marketed for young adults, but is really for any age. I'm excited for the next book in this series.

[Margaret Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jumping between 1960’s Berkeley and 11th century Paris, Ruth Tenzer Feldman’s The Ninth Day tells the story of Hope, a teenage Jewish girl tasked with saving a medieval baby boy’s life. Hope travels through time with the help of a prayer shawl and Serakh, a mysterious woman who is never fleshed out in great detail. This book is not the type of book I typically read and I found myself struggling to immerse myself in the narrative because I had a lot of questions about what was happening and why—questions frequent readers of science fiction or young adult literature may not have. While I had a bit of trouble getting invested in the book early on, by the end of the book I truly cared about Hope and her unique mission. It is for this reason that I believe that The Ninth Day deserves a spot in a young adult library.

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a companion novel to Blue Thread, The Ninth Day carries a lot of similar themes: strength, self-discovery, family, spirituality. However, it doesn’t seem to carry the same weight that Blue Thread did. There isn’t as strong of a connection between the two time periods. Whereas in Blue Thread there were women fighting for fundamental rights (voting in 1912 and ownership in biblical times), The Ninth Day tries to tie more of a sentimental link between the two eras.

The Ninth Day is still a good young adult novel for women—especially for someone who loved Blue Thread and is planning on reading Ruth’s upcoming book, Seven Stitches—but it works best as part of the larger series than it does on its own.

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I did not enjoy this book as much as Blue Thread, I would still recommend it to anyone looking for a different sort of YA novel. It's interesting, and likely intended, that the main character of a novel set during the Free Speech movement has a stuttering problem. However, I really appreciated that Hope's stutter wasn't magically cured by the end. I think our culture is too obsessed with the "ugly duckling" script and is desperate to get rid of anything it deems a flaw. Hope finds her "voice" by the end, but it has nothing to do with her stutter and everything to do with her self-confidence. This is a great book for girls and young women who are just learning to love themselves.

[Julie Swearingen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although The Ninth Day is technically a companion or sequel to Blue Thread, I found this book to be very different. Good different. Those around her may blame Hope's stutter for her timidity, but I felt it was something deeper. Overshadowed by two siblings, Hope is fighting for more than just her singing voice: she is fighting for someone to really hear and see her. At multiple points, I wanted to reach inside the book and shake her. There is something to be said for connecting with a character so much that you want them to be real, to talk to them, and hear them talk back.

[Melina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hope is a high schooler in 1960s Berkeley, California. Hope travels through time to 1909 Paris with the help of a magical prayer shawl and the mysterious Serakh. Hope set about saving a young boy in Paris while protesting in 1960s Berkeley. I am a fan of historical fiction but the storyline was at time scattered and confusing. But the strong female voices truly shine in this coming of age story. I found this companion novel to Blue Thread, slightly less enjoyable than Ruth’s first book, but still a solid read.

[Frances Kane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I really enjoyed Blue Thread, the first book in the series, Ninth Day did not quite live up to my expectations. Hope's story and character did not compel me very much. Her wish for someone to just hear her singing voice and not her stutter was interesting and the setting in the 1960s was something I thought I would enjoy. However, Hope's actions frustrated me at times and the LSD piece to the story was a little too much for me. There is so much already going on with Hope struggling with her stutter and with the time traveling, the LSD seemed odd and unnecessary.

[Dennis Fischman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book more than its predecessor, The Blue Thread. Perhaps I am enough of a fuddy-duddy that the harsh portrayals of Moses and Aaron put me off the first book a little, or perhaps it's just that Berkeley at the time of the Free Speech Movement is a more interesting setting to me than the wilderness...or maybe the setup (with the biblical character Serach bat Asher, the time-traveling tallit, and the Miriam who inherits it) made more sense the second time around. The writing is so-so, but the author draws from a well of inventiveness that I hope is like Miriam's well in the legend: may it follow her and never run dry!