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Book of Esther
When Esther David set out to write a novel that was loosely based on family history, she did not know that uncovering the past would reveal such a treasure trove of stories, or that the process would cut so close to her own life.
Her story begins in the nineteenth century, with Bathsheba, as she waits for her husband to return from his long absence at their home in Danda village on the Konkan coast. A woman of great strength of character who disregards convention, she steers the family through difficult times, but is shattered by the combined weight of social ostracism and an aborted pregnancy. Her greatgrandson David inherits her sense of empathy for all things living, besides possessing a remarkable talent for healing. He acquires great respect as a doctor in Ahmedabad, but is unable to rein in his exuberant son Joshua, Esther's father, in whom the ability to heal will be directed towards a series of creatures large and small, among them lions, panthers and crocodiles. Joshua goes on to found a zoo, and the stories of the pets they raise form a heartbreaking accompaniment to the human drama.
Her story begins in the nineteenth century, with Bathsheba, as she waits for her husband to return from his long absence at their home in Danda village on the Konkan coast. A woman of great strength of character who disregards convention, she steers the family through difficult times, but is shattered by the combined weight of social ostracism and an aborted pregnancy. Her greatgrandson David inherits her sense of empathy for all things living, besides possessing a remarkable talent for healing. He acquires great respect as a doctor in Ahmedabad, but is unable to rein in his exuberant son Joshua, Esther's father, in whom the ability to heal will be directed towards a series of creatures large and small, among them lions, panthers and crocodiles. Joshua goes on to found a zoo, and the stories of the pets they raise form a heartbreaking accompaniment to the human drama.
394 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 23, 2016
This is a wonderful narration of family history.
The author and her family belong to the Bene-Israel Jewish community, which was traditionally based in western India - mainly in Gujurat and Maharastra. The community's origins are obscure, but popular lore believes that it consists of the descendants of survivors of a ship wrecked on the Konkan coast of India. The survivors, all Jewish, were believed to have been fleeing from Antioch sometime long before Christ was born.
Esther's family, the author's family, originated in the village of Dandekar, but migrated to bigger centres such as Ahmedabad and Bombay (Mumbai). The author divides her narrative into four sections. The first three are centered around her ancestors including her father, who was the founder of Ahmedabad's world-renowned zoo. The final section is about the author's life.
Each section is fascinating, and reads like a well-paced novel. She conveys to the reader a great deal of information about her Jewish community, including how it maintained itself apart from other Indian Jewish communities, such as the Cochin and Baghdadi Jews. The desire to maintain the 'purity' of the Bene Israel people becomes glaringly obvious when it comes to Esther's prospects for marriage. This is movingly described in the final section of her book.
The section on Esther's father, Joshua, and his passion for animals surpasses the writing of the famous Gerald Durrell. Like every Jewish son, his father had wanted Joshua to become something 'respectable' like a doctor, but this was not to be. Joshua was no friend of schoolwork. However his skills as a 'shikari' (hunter) led to his profound understanding of animals and nature, and this led him eventually to founding a zoo. Esther describes this beautifully in a mixture of poignancy and humour.
I am not sure that this book is so much a work of fiction, a 'novel as it is described on the book-cover, as much as an extremely well-crafted account of history. But, it matters not how you classify this work, it is a masterpiece. I am so glad that Mr Shanbhag, owner of the now non-existent Premier Bookshop in Bangalore, reccommended it to me, even though he did not have it in stock! I have had my copy, acquired from another great bookshop in Bangalore (Blossom Book House) for years gathering dust, unread. I am so very glad that, at last, I have read it, and heartily reccommend it to everyone.
The author and her family belong to the Bene-Israel Jewish community, which was traditionally based in western India - mainly in Gujurat and Maharastra. The community's origins are obscure, but popular lore believes that it consists of the descendants of survivors of a ship wrecked on the Konkan coast of India. The survivors, all Jewish, were believed to have been fleeing from Antioch sometime long before Christ was born.
Esther's family, the author's family, originated in the village of Dandekar, but migrated to bigger centres such as Ahmedabad and Bombay (Mumbai). The author divides her narrative into four sections. The first three are centered around her ancestors including her father, who was the founder of Ahmedabad's world-renowned zoo. The final section is about the author's life.
Each section is fascinating, and reads like a well-paced novel. She conveys to the reader a great deal of information about her Jewish community, including how it maintained itself apart from other Indian Jewish communities, such as the Cochin and Baghdadi Jews. The desire to maintain the 'purity' of the Bene Israel people becomes glaringly obvious when it comes to Esther's prospects for marriage. This is movingly described in the final section of her book.
The section on Esther's father, Joshua, and his passion for animals surpasses the writing of the famous Gerald Durrell. Like every Jewish son, his father had wanted Joshua to become something 'respectable' like a doctor, but this was not to be. Joshua was no friend of schoolwork. However his skills as a 'shikari' (hunter) led to his profound understanding of animals and nature, and this led him eventually to founding a zoo. Esther describes this beautifully in a mixture of poignancy and humour.
I am not sure that this book is so much a work of fiction, a 'novel as it is described on the book-cover, as much as an extremely well-crafted account of history. But, it matters not how you classify this work, it is a masterpiece. I am so glad that Mr Shanbhag, owner of the now non-existent Premier Bookshop in Bangalore, reccommended it to me, even though he did not have it in stock! I have had my copy, acquired from another great bookshop in Bangalore (Blossom Book House) for years gathering dust, unread. I am so very glad that, at last, I have read it, and heartily reccommend it to everyone.
June 18, 2008
David's autobiographical novel is both the history of one of the groups of Jews in India, and a multi-generational family story pieced together through memories of stories told by her grandmother, old photos, diaries, etc.
David's family were once well-to-do, all the family wealth has dissipated as it is spread through the generations. While most of the family is not religious, many Jewish themes run through the novel: the importance of education, even for girls; the importance of a good career: there a number of doctors, both male and female, a veterinarian, a school teacher, etc. Obedience and respect to one's elders is stressed, including the acceptance of arranged marriages (both a Jewish tradition in this community, and an Indian tradition).
As the story moves into the present day, there are more and more conflicts between tradition and newer social freedoms, and Esther's story in particular is recognizable as being that of a modern woman struggling to realize her own dreams.
David's family were once well-to-do, all the family wealth has dissipated as it is spread through the generations. While most of the family is not religious, many Jewish themes run through the novel: the importance of education, even for girls; the importance of a good career: there a number of doctors, both male and female, a veterinarian, a school teacher, etc. Obedience and respect to one's elders is stressed, including the acceptance of arranged marriages (both a Jewish tradition in this community, and an Indian tradition).
As the story moves into the present day, there are more and more conflicts between tradition and newer social freedoms, and Esther's story in particular is recognizable as being that of a modern woman struggling to realize her own dreams.
September 13, 2015
This was quite an intriguing memoir, filled with wonderful anecdotes and history of the Bene Israel community in Maharashtra, India. It was especially interesting to see how well assimilated they were into the local culture--from food to clothing. It was also interesting to read about David's father's exploits as a hunter-come-zoo keeper/preservationist. Even better were the narratives about her ancestors going several generations back. This is also the first text I've read by or about an Indian Jew that shows someone who tried to move to Israel and who returned.
Although David, like most of the other Indian Jewish writers I've read thus far, never use the word Palestinian nor do they talk about the colonisation of Indian land, but there is a scene towards the end of the book where David is shown a house the Israeli government wants to give her and she notices the architectural style and asks the Jewish Agency man who lived there previously. When pressed, he finally admits it was an "Arab" house. This compels her to move back to India. I wish there were more discussion of this episode, but it is nice to see nevertheless.
Although David, like most of the other Indian Jewish writers I've read thus far, never use the word Palestinian nor do they talk about the colonisation of Indian land, but there is a scene towards the end of the book where David is shown a house the Israeli government wants to give her and she notices the architectural style and asks the Jewish Agency man who lived there previously. When pressed, he finally admits it was an "Arab" house. This compels her to move back to India. I wish there were more discussion of this episode, but it is nice to see nevertheless.
August 5, 2016
Autobiographical in nature book tells the story of the dwindling Bene Israel community in western India, that came into existence following a shipwreck on the Konkan coast in the late 18th century. It's a poignant story of Bathsheba, a strong and tenacious woman, who steers the way for her family while her husband is away. It is also about Esther herself, a single and lonely child of her parents whose life is wrought with troubles. Her relationship with her Parsi lover ends abruptly due to parental disapproval, and in her struggle to raise her two children, first in a loveless marriage and then alone, attains a precarious self-hood. Above all, it's beautiful and sensitive portrayal of the Bene Israel culture that has greatly adapted it self to the surrounding Konkan culture yet remains distinct in many ways. It is fascinating to learn about Jewish worldview through several skillful and vivid narrations of everyday life, customs and practices of a fast disappearing community which is also considered by some as the Lost Tribes of Israel.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews