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אל אשר תלכי
רומן תנ"כי מלא מסתורין וקסם המתבסס על רמזים במגילת רות ומתחקה אחר תעלומה בחיי אם-סבו של דוד המלך. אסנת, אחייניתו הצעירה של שמואל הנביא, מוצאת על מדף מאובק בלשכת הספרים שבבית משפחתו של דוד בן ישי פיסת קלף עתיקה. מגילת הקלף המסתורית רומזת על מאהב אלמוני שהיה לרות המואבייה, אם-סבו של דוד. אסנת מסתקרנת ומחליטה להתחקות אחר הסיפור ולגלות מי הוא היה. אך נראה כאילו כולם עושים יד אחת נגדה ומנסים למנוע ממנה לחשוף את האמת. האומנם חשיפת האמת תעורר שערורייה שעלולה לפגוע במשפחתו של דוד ותעלה מחדש פרשיות שנקברו זה מכבר, של בגידה, נקמה ואף רצח?
285 pages, Paperback
First published December 26, 2006
12 people are currently reading
393 people want to read
About the author
Eva Etzioni-Halevy
26 books68 followersEva Etzioni-Halevy is professor emeritus of political sociology at Bar-Ilan
Univeristy, Israel, now turned into a biblical novelist. A child Holocaust
survivor, she was born in Vienna, Austria. She managed to escape as a small
child with her parents in 1939 and spent World War II in Italy, partly in an
Italian concentration camp and partly in hiding. She moved to what was then
Palestine in 1945. She also spent time in the United States and Australia
before returning to Israel and taking up her position at Bar-Ilan. Eva lives
in Tel-Aviv with her husband; she has three grown children.
Univeristy, Israel, now turned into a biblical novelist. A child Holocaust
survivor, she was born in Vienna, Austria. She managed to escape as a small
child with her parents in 1939 and spent World War II in Italy, partly in an
Italian concentration camp and partly in hiding. She moved to what was then
Palestine in 1945. She also spent time in the United States and Australia
before returning to Israel and taking up her position at Bar-Ilan. Eva lives
in Tel-Aviv with her husband; she has three grown children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
August 1, 2019
In the literary tradition of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, the Garden of Ruth encompasses as story within a story.Eva Etzioni-Halevi's book reveals the Biblical narrative from feminine perspective, without changing the basic events of Biblical history.
The novel begins with Osnath, the beautiful and intelligent young daughter of the prophet Samuel, and granddaughter of Pninah, whom we came to konw in the [[ASIN:0452286727 The Song of Hannah: A Novel]]. Osnath, staying with her cousins in Bethlehem falls in love with the young David, but after receiving David's promise of bethrothal, is spurned by him in favour of King Saul's daughter Michal.
Osnath begins a passionate quest to uncover the tale of David's ancestress Ruth, but it seems like she is being thwarted by David's brother Eliab, who she at first fears and despises. After she marries Eliab (taking the advice of her uncle Samuel who is never wrong about any one's character), Eliab allows her to read the scroll of Ruth in his family's library.
Therein the author gives an account of her narrative of Ruth's life in Moab and in Israel, before marrying Boaz, including the secret sexual relations with the villainous Mishael.
It makes for riveting reading as well as much wisdom and insight such as the words of Naomi to Ruth :"Although the Lord is a G-D of wisdom he is also a G-D of mercy. anyone can find shelter under his wings"
A story of suffering, fear and sorrow ending in happiness and redemption for both heroines-Osnath and Ruth.
The novel begins with Osnath, the beautiful and intelligent young daughter of the prophet Samuel, and granddaughter of Pninah, whom we came to konw in the [[ASIN:0452286727 The Song of Hannah: A Novel]]. Osnath, staying with her cousins in Bethlehem falls in love with the young David, but after receiving David's promise of bethrothal, is spurned by him in favour of King Saul's daughter Michal.
Osnath begins a passionate quest to uncover the tale of David's ancestress Ruth, but it seems like she is being thwarted by David's brother Eliab, who she at first fears and despises. After she marries Eliab (taking the advice of her uncle Samuel who is never wrong about any one's character), Eliab allows her to read the scroll of Ruth in his family's library.
Therein the author gives an account of her narrative of Ruth's life in Moab and in Israel, before marrying Boaz, including the secret sexual relations with the villainous Mishael.
It makes for riveting reading as well as much wisdom and insight such as the words of Naomi to Ruth :"Although the Lord is a G-D of wisdom he is also a G-D of mercy. anyone can find shelter under his wings"
A story of suffering, fear and sorrow ending in happiness and redemption for both heroines-Osnath and Ruth.
August 3, 2010
This might possibly be the worst book I've ever completed. Basically, Etzioni-Halevy took the biblical story of Ruth and mixed it with a drug-store Fabio novel. Why she felt that the Bible needed more harlequin romance and euphemisms for loins is beyond me, but it doesn't work. It's a bad premise, bad writing, crappy characters, and a bad idea all around!
September 30, 2019
3.5 stars
Osnath has come to Bethlehem at 15-years old and falls for two brothers, Eliab and David. While there, she is intrigued by the mystery surrounding Eliab and David’s ancestor (and I think, also in some way, her own ancestor), Ruth. It takes her a while to uncover Ruth’s story, while she is torn between the two men.
So, this is about the Biblical Ruth, and how her story may have come to be written. Actually, the first half of the book mostly focuses on Osnath, and the second half on Ruth. I don’t know the Bible – even less the Old Testament – but I did recognize a few names: Ruth; Samuel, a prophet; David (though I didn’t recognize him until Goliath was mentioned!). There were probably a few others. I didn’t remember it, but Osnath’s grandmother, Pninah, is one of the main characters in The Song of Hannah, also written by Etzioni-Halevy.
Anyway, I thought this was good, both women’s stories. A lot of jumping in between men’s beds (for both Osnath and Ruth!), though not in detail, but the story was still interesting. As always, I appreciate the historical note that was added in at the end.
Osnath has come to Bethlehem at 15-years old and falls for two brothers, Eliab and David. While there, she is intrigued by the mystery surrounding Eliab and David’s ancestor (and I think, also in some way, her own ancestor), Ruth. It takes her a while to uncover Ruth’s story, while she is torn between the two men.
So, this is about the Biblical Ruth, and how her story may have come to be written. Actually, the first half of the book mostly focuses on Osnath, and the second half on Ruth. I don’t know the Bible – even less the Old Testament – but I did recognize a few names: Ruth; Samuel, a prophet; David (though I didn’t recognize him until Goliath was mentioned!). There were probably a few others. I didn’t remember it, but Osnath’s grandmother, Pninah, is one of the main characters in The Song of Hannah, also written by Etzioni-Halevy.
Anyway, I thought this was good, both women’s stories. A lot of jumping in between men’s beds (for both Osnath and Ruth!), though not in detail, but the story was still interesting. As always, I appreciate the historical note that was added in at the end.
May 23, 2008
While I liked this book, I didn't love it. The concept was interesting and I liked the way the author intertwined the stories of Ruth and David by using a character (Osnath) from David's generation who wants to investigate Ruth's past. Where I felt the book fell short was in the author's desire to link Ruth & Osnath's stories: she made the parallels too obvious and therefore not as believable to me.
Another complaint is that while this book as an interesting narrative, it did not raise any significant personal questions for me to ask myself. There was nothing that a character encountered that made me ask myself how I would react in similar circumstances or how I felt about a particular issue.
This would be a good beach read - it entertains rather than causing introspection.
Another complaint is that while this book as an interesting narrative, it did not raise any significant personal questions for me to ask myself. There was nothing that a character encountered that made me ask myself how I would react in similar circumstances or how I felt about a particular issue.
This would be a good beach read - it entertains rather than causing introspection.
December 2, 2023
Nicely Written
Although I don’t agree with some points of the author’s fleshed out story of Ruth, it is very nicely done. Ruth and Esther are my Biblical favorites and of course I’d like to think the best of them. However, we can’t know the full stories and certainly historical figures lived with sin and temptation, just as we all do today.
With that in mind, the story was well told, excellently paced, and a joy to read. I’ll be looking for more titles from this author!
Although I don’t agree with some points of the author’s fleshed out story of Ruth, it is very nicely done. Ruth and Esther are my Biblical favorites and of course I’d like to think the best of them. However, we can’t know the full stories and certainly historical figures lived with sin and temptation, just as we all do today.
With that in mind, the story was well told, excellently paced, and a joy to read. I’ll be looking for more titles from this author!
June 24, 2011
I was looking forward to this book, and was hoping it would turn out to be really good, since the author has written several biblical fictions, and I enjoy a good biblical fiction. However, I was disappointed.
I finished it, because I did want to know what happened. However, by the end I was mostly skimming.
Why?
Well, as a woman, it made me really uncomfortable. I understand that the story is set in a different time period, but it still made me uncomfortable.
The main character is obsessed with the story of Ruth, who lived several generations before. Osnath (the MC) is about the same age as David (of David and Goliath) and his brother. She's into both of them.
The brother rapes her (and supposedly promptly regrets it, but still says that she has giving mixed signals and she didn't actually say no, just hits him). Not only does she ultimately forgive him (after David ditches her), she ends up deciding that he is the love of her life and basically does everything but kill herself to get him to take her back as his concubine, since he's already married by the time she figures out she's in love with him. She hopes he'll marry her and take her as his second wife, but she doesn't seem to be too fussed about it. The relationship is just really screwed up and makes me feel uncomfortable.
Ruth makes me much less uncomfortable, but she also basically gives up everything for a guy who turns out to be a jerk and needs to be rescued by another man who very graciously forgives her for the indiscretion.
There's also an ongoing theme of "men can't be expected to abstain from sex, so women can't get annoyed at them for it." It was just discomforting.
I finished it, because I did want to know what happened. However, by the end I was mostly skimming.
Why?
Well, as a woman, it made me really uncomfortable. I understand that the story is set in a different time period, but it still made me uncomfortable.
The main character is obsessed with the story of Ruth, who lived several generations before. Osnath (the MC) is about the same age as David (of David and Goliath) and his brother. She's into both of them.
The brother rapes her (and supposedly promptly regrets it, but still says that she has giving mixed signals and she didn't actually say no, just hits him). Not only does she ultimately forgive him (after David ditches her), she ends up deciding that he is the love of her life and basically does everything but kill herself to get him to take her back as his concubine, since he's already married by the time she figures out she's in love with him. She hopes he'll marry her and take her as his second wife, but she doesn't seem to be too fussed about it. The relationship is just really screwed up and makes me feel uncomfortable.
Ruth makes me much less uncomfortable, but she also basically gives up everything for a guy who turns out to be a jerk and needs to be rescued by another man who very graciously forgives her for the indiscretion.
There's also an ongoing theme of "men can't be expected to abstain from sex, so women can't get annoyed at them for it." It was just discomforting.
August 24, 2008
A good, interesting take on early Jewish history. Living here I found some of it hard to buy...including the supposed authenticity of acceptance of pre- and extra-marital sexual activities (though I'm not a scholar of Jewish history so I could be wrong) as well as the description of household furnishings (did Jews in the time of David really have tables and chairs when everyone else in this region still use cushions on the floor?). The story was imaginative though and an interesting interpretation of the story of Ruth. A little to close to a romance novel for me, but still a good quick read.
June 30, 2008
Interesting interpretation both of the story of Ruth as well as the story of David and his family in the time before he became king. I'm not sure if this is an accurate representation of what life was like back then or if lurid details were added less for the sake of historic accuracy and more to sell books with a more 'liberal' or 'antibiblical' slant. Nevertheless, it was an intriguing take on a biblical story and a good attempt to bring the characters alive.
February 8, 2008
Absolutely one of the worst books I've had the misfortune to read all the way through.
May 24, 2010
In this work of Biblical fiction, a young woman named Osnath, who is also the niece of the prophet Samuel, arrives in Bethlehem. Upon perusing the scroll room belonging to the relatives she is visiting, she discovers a scrap of parchment with a most interesting love poem written upon it. As Osnath soon discovers, this parchment is only a fragment of the life story of Ruth, who became the wife of Boaz and was the great-grandmother of the man known as King David. While trying to uncover more of the parchment scraps that tell Ruth's story, Osnath discovers that Ruth, a woman highly esteemed for her piety and grace, had once been caught in the throes of an illicit relationship with a man other than her husband. But as Osnath begins to dig for more clues into Ruth's life, she comes to arouse the suspicion and anger of Ruth's great-grandson Eliab, who is desperate to keep his ancestor's reputation from being tarnished. Osnath, trying frantically to uncover more information about this tantalizing story, becomes genuinely surprised when she finds her feelings of disgust for Elaib turning into feelings of desire. Now Osnath must reconcile both Ruth's past and her present to finally restore harmony to her life. In this surprising and evocative story, Etzioni-Halevy takes one of the most famous stories in the bible and turns it in fresh and unexpected direction.
About a year and a half ago, I had the pleasure of reading my first book by Eva Etzioni-Hallevy. It was called The Song of Deborah and I had a great time with it. When the author contacted me about reviewing one of her other works, I was very excited to see what her other stories might have to offer me. I was greatly pleased with this book and ended up being very satisfied with its story. I think this was perhaps my favorite of the stories I have tried from this author and am excited that she has another book out for me to enjoy as well.
Though this book ostensibly had two stories woven into one, the story involving Osnath was the principal focus. Osnath was a very headstrong young girl at the beginning of the tale, and only as the story progresses do her attitudes and behaviors begin to change. From the outset, she is extremely caught up in the search for Ruth's tale and it seems that she will do almost anything to discover the truth surrounding it, even if it means angering everyone around her. I found her diligence to have a curious effect on me. I also wanted her to find out Ruth's tale and was invested in her search, but I thought that she sometimes came off as a little brazen in her tactics. As she struggles to worm her way into the scroll room, she seems to be making enemies all along the way, but surprisingly, the people she is offending offer her friendship and, in one case, love.
Osnath also has to contend with the desires of her heart. At her first meeting with Elaib, she discovers him to be crude and coarse and really wants to have nothing to do with him. After a flagrant affront takes place between the two, Osnath's heart is set against Eliab in the most heated of ways. She will never love this man and will learn to live around him. Instead, she prefers David, a starry-eyed youth who spins endearments from thin air, much to Osnath's delight. As the story begins to take shape, Osnath's feelings for David become tangled by the deeds he commits and she is left feeling exploited and rebuffed. In anger, Osnath wishes to leave Bethlehem after she uncovers Ruth's story, feeling that her time in the city fits only that purpose and no more. Surprisingly, Osnath begins to discover that there is more to Eliab than she once thought, a revelation that seems to come a little too late, forcing Osnath into a position of suffering that breaks her body and spirit. The only way to reconcile her situation is to do the unthinkable, which for Osnath, is a tough order indeed.
Towards the middle of the book, Osnath's persistence pays off and she is rewarded with Ruth's story in all its sordid detail. This section prompted me to perk up while reading, for the story of Ruth and Boaz has always been a favorite of mine. This book takes a slightly different direction with the story and tells the fictional tale of the man who seduces Ruth immediately after her first husband dies. I really liked Ruth and found her humble yet knowing. In this tale, she was placed in a very difficult situation and had only her wits and character to pull her through it. These passages were evocative and humble, painting a vast and far-reaching picture of the trials that Ruth faced. I must admit that these sections were my favorite parts of the book and I hungered to hear more about Ruth and her situation. She was a winning character, filled with shame at her situation but strong enough to do what was required of her.
In the end, the story of Ruth is revealed in its complete form, as is the tale of Osnath and her difficult road to maturity. The two sections of the book dovetailed at the end, and despite the trials that the two women faced, they are able to find a happiness that stretches across generations. Though Ruth and Osnath were very different women, I was happy to see their lives reconciled and their fates sealed, so for me, the story came full circle in a wonderful way.
If you are the type of reader who enjoys biblical fiction, then this book is probably something that you would enjoy. The author takes great pains in fully realizing her characters and the dramas they face, so this novel would also be of interest to those who love character driven books. Though there are certain liberties taken with the tale of Ruth, I think that in this case, they were very well done and believable and they gave the story a profound sense of drama and insight. The complexities of the two stories being interwoven was also done with a lot of style, making this a very pleasant reading experience.
About a year and a half ago, I had the pleasure of reading my first book by Eva Etzioni-Hallevy. It was called The Song of Deborah and I had a great time with it. When the author contacted me about reviewing one of her other works, I was very excited to see what her other stories might have to offer me. I was greatly pleased with this book and ended up being very satisfied with its story. I think this was perhaps my favorite of the stories I have tried from this author and am excited that she has another book out for me to enjoy as well.
Though this book ostensibly had two stories woven into one, the story involving Osnath was the principal focus. Osnath was a very headstrong young girl at the beginning of the tale, and only as the story progresses do her attitudes and behaviors begin to change. From the outset, she is extremely caught up in the search for Ruth's tale and it seems that she will do almost anything to discover the truth surrounding it, even if it means angering everyone around her. I found her diligence to have a curious effect on me. I also wanted her to find out Ruth's tale and was invested in her search, but I thought that she sometimes came off as a little brazen in her tactics. As she struggles to worm her way into the scroll room, she seems to be making enemies all along the way, but surprisingly, the people she is offending offer her friendship and, in one case, love.
Osnath also has to contend with the desires of her heart. At her first meeting with Elaib, she discovers him to be crude and coarse and really wants to have nothing to do with him. After a flagrant affront takes place between the two, Osnath's heart is set against Eliab in the most heated of ways. She will never love this man and will learn to live around him. Instead, she prefers David, a starry-eyed youth who spins endearments from thin air, much to Osnath's delight. As the story begins to take shape, Osnath's feelings for David become tangled by the deeds he commits and she is left feeling exploited and rebuffed. In anger, Osnath wishes to leave Bethlehem after she uncovers Ruth's story, feeling that her time in the city fits only that purpose and no more. Surprisingly, Osnath begins to discover that there is more to Eliab than she once thought, a revelation that seems to come a little too late, forcing Osnath into a position of suffering that breaks her body and spirit. The only way to reconcile her situation is to do the unthinkable, which for Osnath, is a tough order indeed.
Towards the middle of the book, Osnath's persistence pays off and she is rewarded with Ruth's story in all its sordid detail. This section prompted me to perk up while reading, for the story of Ruth and Boaz has always been a favorite of mine. This book takes a slightly different direction with the story and tells the fictional tale of the man who seduces Ruth immediately after her first husband dies. I really liked Ruth and found her humble yet knowing. In this tale, she was placed in a very difficult situation and had only her wits and character to pull her through it. These passages were evocative and humble, painting a vast and far-reaching picture of the trials that Ruth faced. I must admit that these sections were my favorite parts of the book and I hungered to hear more about Ruth and her situation. She was a winning character, filled with shame at her situation but strong enough to do what was required of her.
In the end, the story of Ruth is revealed in its complete form, as is the tale of Osnath and her difficult road to maturity. The two sections of the book dovetailed at the end, and despite the trials that the two women faced, they are able to find a happiness that stretches across generations. Though Ruth and Osnath were very different women, I was happy to see their lives reconciled and their fates sealed, so for me, the story came full circle in a wonderful way.
If you are the type of reader who enjoys biblical fiction, then this book is probably something that you would enjoy. The author takes great pains in fully realizing her characters and the dramas they face, so this novel would also be of interest to those who love character driven books. Though there are certain liberties taken with the tale of Ruth, I think that in this case, they were very well done and believable and they gave the story a profound sense of drama and insight. The complexities of the two stories being interwoven was also done with a lot of style, making this a very pleasant reading experience.
June 19, 2021
Good fictional tale bits and pcs of Bible truth. Nothing takes the place of the Bible story.
I did enjoy and looked up names in concordance.
I did enjoy and looked up names in concordance.
January 20, 2017
The Garden of Ruth by Eva Etzioni-Halevy
Hebrew review follows. ביקורת בעברית בהמשך
Note that this review if of the Hebrew version. In the afterword the author writes that the versions are not identical, although from the summary it seems to be quite close.
I enjoyed The Song of Hannah and was expecting a similar experience, but sadly this is not the case. Like Hannah, the the semi-biblical dialect (I read the Hebrew version) is appropriate and helps the atmosphere. I also appreciate the way the author fills in the lacunae in the story (specifically, the story of Ploni Almoni) - I felt the solution is intelligent and appropriate. However, the structure of the book is all wrong.
The author tried to combine a love story (actually, two, Osnath's and Ruth's) with a mystery/detective story (Osnath obsessing about Ruth). The Mystery part is dreadful. Instead of gradually revealing the parts of a mystery, the "detective" spends half the book brooding over why no-one tells her anything, and then suddenly in the second half is given the solution on a silver plate (well, for sexual favors). One critical part of the mystery is kept from the readers almost to the end, although the protagonist finds it much earlier but doesn't tell us with absolutely no reason, only to find out it is quite minor and uninteresting. As it turns out, the reason for all of this being a mystery is also minor and unjustifiable. It seems the author is just lost in this genre.
The "romance" part is one which I did not expect to enjoy to begin with, but it was even worse than I expected. The women of the story are depicted as senseless naive bimbos. No matter how they are wronged (even raped), they forget and forgive, suddenly falling for the tormentor who becomes the lover. This is repeated ad nauseam, to the point it becomes, well, nauseating. This brings me to another thing which really stood out in Hannah and was completely missing here - strong, interesting women one could connect and sympathize with.
נהניתי מהספר ולו שתי נשים של אותה המחברת וציפיתח לחוויה דומה, אבל לצערי זה לא המקרה. כמו ב"ולא שתי נשים" הניב ההחצי-מקראי בהחלט עוזרת ומתאים לאווירה. אני גם מעריך את הדרך שבה המחברת ממלאת את החסר בסיפור במקראי (במיוחד הסיפור של פלוני אלמוני) - הרגשתי שהפתרון אינטיליגנטי וראוי. עם זאת, המבנה של הספר הזה שגוי.
המחברת ניסתה לשלב סיפור אהבה רומנטי (למעשה שני סיפורים, של אוסנת ושל ורות) עם סיפור מסתורין/בלש (אוסנת במחשבותיה האובססיביות על רות). הבעייה היא שחלק המסתורין הוא נורא. במקום לחשוף בהדרגה את המסתורין, ה"בלשית" מבלה מחצית מהספר בהרהורים על למה אף אחד לא אומר לה כלום, ואז פתאום במחצית השנייה ניתן לה הפתרון על מגש של כסף (עבור טובות הנאה מיניות). חלק קריטי אחד של המסתורין נשמר מן הקוראים כמעט עד הסוף, אם כי הגיבורה מגלה אותו הרבה יותר מוקדם אבל לא מספרת לנו, ללא שום סיבה לעין. אם לפחות היה לזה ייתרון - לבסוף נגלה שהעניין די מינורי ולא מעניין. כפי שמתברר, הסיבה לכל התעלומה די שטותית וחסרת הצדקה. לצערי נראה שהמחברת פשוט הולכת לאיבוד בז'אנר הזה.
מחלק "הרומנטיקה" לא ציפיתי ליהנות מלכתחילה, אבל זה היה אפילו יותר גרוע ממה שציפיתי. הנשים של הסיפור מתוארות כפרחות נאיביות עד אובדן ההכרה. לא משנה כמה עוולות (אפילו אונס!) נעשות להן, הם שוכחות וסולחות, ונופלות פתאום לרגלי המענה אשר הופך למאהב. עניין זה חוזר על עצמו עד זרא עד לנקודה שבה התחלתי להרגיש בחילה קלה. זה מביא אותי לדבר האחרון שבאמת בלט ב"ולו שתי נשים" והיה חסר כאן לחלוטין - נשים חזקות ומעניינות שאיתן אפשר להתחבר ולהזדהות.
Hebrew review follows. ביקורת בעברית בהמשך
Note that this review if of the Hebrew version. In the afterword the author writes that the versions are not identical, although from the summary it seems to be quite close.
I enjoyed The Song of Hannah and was expecting a similar experience, but sadly this is not the case. Like Hannah, the the semi-biblical dialect (I read the Hebrew version) is appropriate and helps the atmosphere. I also appreciate the way the author fills in the lacunae in the story (specifically, the story of Ploni Almoni) - I felt the solution is intelligent and appropriate. However, the structure of the book is all wrong.
The author tried to combine a love story (actually, two, Osnath's and Ruth's) with a mystery/detective story (Osnath obsessing about Ruth). The Mystery part is dreadful. Instead of gradually revealing the parts of a mystery, the "detective" spends half the book brooding over why no-one tells her anything, and then suddenly in the second half is given the solution on a silver plate (well, for sexual favors). One critical part of the mystery is kept from the readers almost to the end, although the protagonist finds it much earlier but doesn't tell us with absolutely no reason, only to find out it is quite minor and uninteresting. As it turns out, the reason for all of this being a mystery is also minor and unjustifiable. It seems the author is just lost in this genre.
The "romance" part is one which I did not expect to enjoy to begin with, but it was even worse than I expected. The women of the story are depicted as senseless naive bimbos. No matter how they are wronged (even raped), they forget and forgive, suddenly falling for the tormentor who becomes the lover. This is repeated ad nauseam, to the point it becomes, well, nauseating. This brings me to another thing which really stood out in Hannah and was completely missing here - strong, interesting women one could connect and sympathize with.
נהניתי מהספר ולו שתי נשים של אותה המחברת וציפיתח לחוויה דומה, אבל לצערי זה לא המקרה. כמו ב"ולא שתי נשים" הניב ההחצי-מקראי בהחלט עוזרת ומתאים לאווירה. אני גם מעריך את הדרך שבה המחברת ממלאת את החסר בסיפור במקראי (במיוחד הסיפור של פלוני אלמוני) - הרגשתי שהפתרון אינטיליגנטי וראוי. עם זאת, המבנה של הספר הזה שגוי.
המחברת ניסתה לשלב סיפור אהבה רומנטי (למעשה שני סיפורים, של אוסנת ושל ורות) עם סיפור מסתורין/בלש (אוסנת במחשבותיה האובססיביות על רות). הבעייה היא שחלק המסתורין הוא נורא. במקום לחשוף בהדרגה את המסתורין, ה"בלשית" מבלה מחצית מהספר בהרהורים על למה אף אחד לא אומר לה כלום, ואז פתאום במחצית השנייה ניתן לה הפתרון על מגש של כסף (עבור טובות הנאה מיניות). חלק קריטי אחד של המסתורין נשמר מן הקוראים כמעט עד הסוף, אם כי הגיבורה מגלה אותו הרבה יותר מוקדם אבל לא מספרת לנו, ללא שום סיבה לעין. אם לפחות היה לזה ייתרון - לבסוף נגלה שהעניין די מינורי ולא מעניין. כפי שמתברר, הסיבה לכל התעלומה די שטותית וחסרת הצדקה. לצערי נראה שהמחברת פשוט הולכת לאיבוד בז'אנר הזה.
מחלק "הרומנטיקה" לא ציפיתי ליהנות מלכתחילה, אבל זה היה אפילו יותר גרוע ממה שציפיתי. הנשים של הסיפור מתוארות כפרחות נאיביות עד אובדן ההכרה. לא משנה כמה עוולות (אפילו אונס!) נעשות להן, הם שוכחות וסולחות, ונופלות פתאום לרגלי המענה אשר הופך למאהב. עניין זה חוזר על עצמו עד זרא עד לנקודה שבה התחלתי להרגיש בחילה קלה. זה מביא אותי לדבר האחרון שבאמת בלט ב"ולו שתי נשים" והיה חסר כאן לחלוטין - נשים חזקות ומעניינות שאיתן אפשר להתחבר ולהזדהות.
August 25, 2009
The story of Ruth is well known for all who have read the Bible and I am not one of them.
The story starts with a young beautiful Israelite girl, Osnath traveling to Bethlehem to meet her extended family. Osnath has the ability to read and write, which is a rare quality possessed by women in those times. She is educated by her mother, who herself is a scribe and also by her father. She loves reading and writing scrolls and to her amazement finds a scroll room in there neighbors house. This is where she accidentally stumbles upon a few of Ruth's poems which depict her life. Another scroll adds to the mystery about Ruth's life which Osnath is determined to unravel. She is undeterred by the stiff objections from Ruth's descendants. Osnath knows that there is a secret that Eliab, Ruth's great grandson is trying to protect and she wants to know it and write about it too. Osnath gets help from her uncle Prophet Smauel and bit by bit uncovers the truth. In her journey to find the truth, she falls in love with Eliab's youngest brother David, who is destined to be the King. She later realizes her true love and fights for him just as Ruth fought for hers.
This story shows women of strength who fought for there causes among there own kin and others. It is a beautifully written work and an amazing story! Eva has done a beautiful job of showcasing the strength of women in times when there choices were very limited. This book is highly recommended.
The story starts with a young beautiful Israelite girl, Osnath traveling to Bethlehem to meet her extended family. Osnath has the ability to read and write, which is a rare quality possessed by women in those times. She is educated by her mother, who herself is a scribe and also by her father. She loves reading and writing scrolls and to her amazement finds a scroll room in there neighbors house. This is where she accidentally stumbles upon a few of Ruth's poems which depict her life. Another scroll adds to the mystery about Ruth's life which Osnath is determined to unravel. She is undeterred by the stiff objections from Ruth's descendants. Osnath knows that there is a secret that Eliab, Ruth's great grandson is trying to protect and she wants to know it and write about it too. Osnath gets help from her uncle Prophet Smauel and bit by bit uncovers the truth. In her journey to find the truth, she falls in love with Eliab's youngest brother David, who is destined to be the King. She later realizes her true love and fights for him just as Ruth fought for hers.
This story shows women of strength who fought for there causes among there own kin and others. It is a beautifully written work and an amazing story! Eva has done a beautiful job of showcasing the strength of women in times when there choices were very limited. This book is highly recommended.
January 28, 2010
I liked the book but didn't love Osnath enough... the author used Osnath, Ruth's descendant (Great great grand-daughter), as a device to relay Ruth's story... Osnath's and Ruth's shared similarities but I had a hard time getting by the feeling that Osnath wasn't just a young woman who was a bit too inquisitive and disrespectful although the book wants to make you feel like she was learned and therefore uncovering the truth. I did enjoy how it felt like I was reading something from the Old Testament times and it felt truly like historical fiction. I still have a hard time getting past the polygamist views but can appreciate the truth of them... And I would have liked not to read the phrase "all of the days of my life" so many times!
December 17, 2016
I'm not sure how I felt about reading this book. It is historical fiction which I like but I agree with other reviewers about the harlequin fiction, the author completely changed what we do know about Ruth. A proverbs 31 woman. I did enjoy Red Tent, but it was similar I think the reason why I liked Red Tent more though was seeing The tribes of Israel. The early genealogy of Christ is very interesting to me. This book was ok. I did finish it. The biggest thing that stuck out to me was Ruth quoting psalm 126:6 those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.
May 6, 2008
I just finished reading a series of books about religion, and introspective work, and I wanted to read this book to transition to cultural studies books. In all I really like this book, and I would reccomend it. However, it is quite a bit more sexual in nature than I had thought, verging on (biblically) raunchy. It is quite a mix, I must say. The story is very good, though if you are looking for a retelling of the story of Ruth, I would reccomend "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant any day of the week.
June 5, 2009
A great biblical story! I love this book!
A young girl goes to visit relatives and learns of the story of Ruth. The girls main goal is to do research on Ruth and write her own story. There's a man that gets in way of doing this. She dislikes him at first then she get along with him later. He is the one trying to stop from learning about Ruth but she finds a way to get pass him. He loves her but he hates him.
Great story!
A young girl goes to visit relatives and learns of the story of Ruth. The girls main goal is to do research on Ruth and write her own story. There's a man that gets in way of doing this. She dislikes him at first then she get along with him later. He is the one trying to stop from learning about Ruth but she finds a way to get pass him. He loves her but he hates him.
Great story!
September 19, 2009
This is an interesting take on the biblical story of Ruth as told partly by Ruth herself and partly by Osnath, the wife of one of Ruth's descendants. While I liked the story, I thought that Osnath's persistent curiosity about Ruth's life (despite several warnings from her family) was a little too overzealous to be believable. I found it to be an annoying character trait, but otherwise, the story was entertaining. If you like Ruth's story from the bible, you should give this book a try.
March 19, 2013
A novel about Ruth and her true story, as discovered by her great-grandson 's wife, who loved to research old scrolls. Who also happened to be Samuel's niece, and David's first love. Fiction, of course, but the book answers some of the questions I always had about the Bible story. This was interesting enough that I'll be reading her books on Hannah (Samuel's mother) and Deborah, the judge.
This author's Israeli women are strong and capable, much like many of the modern Israelis.
This author's Israeli women are strong and capable, much like many of the modern Israelis.
October 4, 2015
Unexpectedly good. This book weaves the Biblical story of Ruth with the story of a fictional granddaughter who faces a number of the same entanglements in beliefs-love-family-life. Well written and fun to read. Also, although it was placed originally in the YA section, this is not YA. Lots of references to various stories and legends, and a firm general knowledge of Torah will help with catching a lot of the subtleties.
June 17, 2008
This book was interesting from a historical perspective. A lot of biblical info brought to life. However, I was expecting more from the main character and I felt like the way things wound up with her was a let down. Perhaps this was me wanting strong, "never say die" female characters or perhaps the plot did kind of fall flat.
September 6, 2009
A historical novel about the book of Ruth. The story is told through the voices of Osnath and Ruth. Osnath tries to discover the truth about Ruth's life. It was an interesting story and a very easy read but I was disappointed that the historical information aside from Ruth's life was minimual. I would recommend this book is you are interested in a light read.
February 2, 2008
This was an amazing book. It was a fun read and really brought to life the story of Ruth. It helped me add in some fun details about Ruth to help me remember the events and lineage of her decedents.
July 25, 2008
I really wanted to like The Garden of Ruth, as I enjoyed Song of Hannah, but ultimately it fell short for me. The 'mystery' part of the plot was forced to me, and I felt that the love story between the two main characters was rushed for the last 1/4 of the book.
October 25, 2008
Just finished this one since I've apparently lost the ability to sleep. Another good book of female empowerment.
Also, funny story, there was a cockroach in the back of this book. Yeah, thanks Iowa City Public Library.
Also, funny story, there was a cockroach in the back of this book. Yeah, thanks Iowa City Public Library.
July 2, 2009
Biblical fiction that isn't much better than a Harlequin romance. Still, our book club had an interesting discussion about independent women and the restrictions placed on women by society (historically and today).
August 3, 2010
Story of Osnath, in the circle of the future king David, as she tries to unearth the story of David's ancestor Ruth. Suffices for a historical-fiction fix, but characters are frustrating and not particularly sympathetic.
September 24, 2011
The book reminded me a lot of The Red Tent. Interesting story and really makes you stop and think about the life Ruth led. If you have read The Red Tent, I would highly recommend you read this book as well. I'm putting it up for a book swap if anyone would like to read.
July 26, 2011
I love retellings, so I picked the book up. I also liked that it was written by an Israeli scholar, which I thought might give it a different flair. In the end, I enjoyed the book, I doubted how realistic the retelling was, but it was a fun story to read.
Read
September 4, 2012This book brings you right into ancient Bethlehem and throws you into the stories of the Torah and the Bible. It offers you a new perspective on an ancient tale. Fall in love with Ruth all over again.
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