The Choice: A Novel of Love, Faith and The Talmud

by Maggie Anton

A powerful love story with a purpose:
to challenge Jewish customs concerning women, marriage, and equality.
The award-winning author of "Rashi's Daughters," Maggie Anton, has written a wholly transformative novel that takes characters inspired by Chaim Potok and ages them into young adults in Brooklyn in the 1950s, a time of Elvis & Marilyn, communist scares & polio vaccines, Jewish migration & American integration.
When Hannah Eisin, a successful journalist, interviews Rabbi Nathan Mandel, a controversial Talmud professor, she persuades him to teach her the mysteries of the text forbidden to women—even though it might cost him his job if discovered. Secret meetings and lively discussions bring the two to the edge of a line that neither dares to cross, as their relationships with each other and Judaism are tested.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Jewish, Religion, Judaism

570 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 17, 2022

About the author

Maggie Anton is an award-winning author of historical fiction, as well as a Talmud scholar with expertise in Jewish women’s history. She was born Margaret Antonofsky in Los Angeles, California, where she still resides. In 1992 she joined a women’s Talmud class taught by Rachel Adler. There, to her surprise, she fell in love with Talmud, a passion that has continued unabated for over thirty years. Intrigued that the great Jewish scholar Rashi had no sons, only daughters, she started researching the family and their community.
Thus the award-winning trilogy Rashi’s Daughters was born in 2004, to be followed by National Jewish Book Award finalist, Rav Hisda’s Daughter: Apprentice and its sequel, Enchantress. Then she switched to nonfiction in 2016, winning the Gold Ben Franklin Award in the religion category for Fifty Shades of Talmud: What the First Rabbis Had to Say about You-Know What, a lighthearted in-depth tour of sexuality within the Talmud. In 2022, she returned to fiction with the Independent Publishers’ Silver Award-winning The Choice: A Novel of Love, Faith, and the Talmud, a wholly transformative novel that takes characters inspired by Chaim Potok and ages them into young adults in 1950s Brooklyn. Her latest historical novel is The Midwives’ Escape: from Egypt to Jericho, which describes the Exodus from the point of view of an Egyptian mother and daughter who join the Hebrews to follow Moses to the Promised Land.
Since 2005, Anton has lectured about the research behind her books at hundreds of venues throughout North America, Europe, and Israel. She still studies women and Talmud, albeit mostly online at https://www.conservativeyeshiva.org/l.... You can follow her blog and contact her at her website, www.maggieanton.com. You can also find her on Facebook and Goodreads. And if you liked this book, please give it a nice review at all the usual websites. Maggie has been married to David Parkhurst, her books’ illustrator, since 1970. They have two children, six grandchildren, and one cat.

Reviews

[Stacey B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to win this book on a Goodreads giveaway. After reading Maggie Anton's inspiration for writing the book it was similar to my memories of reading Chaim Potok's books from the seventies and eighties. My mother and I would read these books and then get into long discussions about them. So the idea brought back some warm memories.
The Choice is based on characters from Potok's The Chosen(although the names are changed), The Promise and Davita's Harp. So after not reading these books for thirty-five to forty years. The details of those books were fuzzy. Due to the greatness of Potok's writing the characters though still remained strong in my memory. Just a note The Choice is a stand alone book and can easily be read without reading any of the prior Potok novels.

There was so much to unpack with The Choice, the study of Talmund and the question of the laws that were written hundred of years ago can they still stand the test of time. Such as women learning Talmud, when a man was allowed to touch his wife after menstruation and in general the woman's place in the Talmud and Jewish Orthodoxy. Along with this theme is the back drop of the book taking place in the 1950's. So Anton paints a vivid picture of what was happening in the New York at the time. She also delves into the Hasidic world and their reaction to finding out about child molestation in their community. The relations of Conservative, Orthodox Hasidic Jews and marriage. With a deep dive into Talmudic law and what you might feel should change and what should stay the same.

One take away I did get from this book and the Potok books was this. After reading Potok books that the message was a way to a more fulfilling life was living an Orthodox life, After reading the Choice I was left with a similar feeling. Except that a more fulfilling life in todays world might be a Jewish Conservative view. Allowing more equality between the sexes. Again this is just my opinion.

A great read and if you are interested in Talmudic debate, this could be a five star read. (less)

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5/5.0

One to most certainly put on the e-reader this spring. Enjoy it on the sofa with a cup of tea or outside in the spring sun!

Read full review in the 2022 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Shomeret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy for review from the author. The Choice takes place in the 1950's. The attitudes were quite different from contemporary mores. Its primary focus is the relationship between the male and female protagonists, but it also deals with child sexual abuse and racism as well as studying the Talmud. I found the portrayal of Judaism in the 1950's eye opening. I wasn't aware that Conservative Judaism existed during that era.

See my complete review at https://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2022...

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie Anton is known for historical fiction with strong Jewish themes (like her Rashi's Daughters three book series), and this one is in exactly that vein. It is also somewhat connected to "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok, also taking place in the 1950s in New York City and using two of the main characters (though with differences like their names). It is a bit dense in the beginning, as main characters Hannah (also sometimes called Annie) and Nathan study Talmud together. So it took me longer to get through that part, but did get easier around the halfway mark.

This is a great story, with a lot of discussions of women's role and rights in Judaism from a feminist angle. But if you're not familiar with Orthodox Judaism, you want to keep your phone (and Google) nearby. There is a romance built into the story, which comes out of a shared appreciation for Jewish textual study and approach to Jewish practice. The characters are great and I rooted for them all along, with additional depth added by the secondary characters (especially Aunt Elizabeth and Sharon). The ending wrapped up nicely, and it left me missing the characters.

Thank you to Banot Press and On the River Public Relations for the advanced copy.

[Tipsy Shades · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love how Maggie Anton manages to weave Talmudic discussions into all of her novels, and these definitely hold up to everything else I've read of hers. I appreciated the dilemma in the first half of the book that forms the basis of the character conflicts, however, the second half felt like it dragged just a little and that the actual conflict between them wasn't all that central or strong. It didn't feel that resolving the conflict was the driving force of the narrative, rather we were just floating along with Annie and Nathan, and in the lead-up to the wedding, the story just slowed down a little too much, getting bogged down in the details.

Lastly, somehow I felt that the romantic tension wasn't quite as intense as I felt Anton wrote in both Rav Hisda's Daughter and its sequel, The Enchantress.

[Leah Cohen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very much looking forward to this book, as a fan of Chaim Potok and a fan of the Rashi's Daughters books. I was so disappointed when I actually started reading it. You know when kids have to write a story with their weekly vocabulary words, and you get this awkward tale with words that seem to not quite fit? That's how this story felt. Like the author had done a lot of research and just wanted to cram in as many facts as possible. Add to it that not all of the facts were quite correct and that transitions the reader from, "Wow, how interesting," to "I wonder if that's actually true."

I'm not sure who this book is meant for.
* There is enough random Jewish vocab that it would be difficult for someone unfamiliar to read it.
* The Talmud sequences are so long and basic that anyone who has studied would be mostly bored. There's also these weird situation where the characters are extremely worried about a prohibition of women studying Talmud, but not that they are repeatedly violating yichud. This is a completely unrealistic situation and it happens over and over. This book is not for the datti.
* A current of hate of the Hasidim runs throughout the book like, "...the flora on the Eisins' street looked well maintained. Especially when compared to his neighborhood, where the Hasidim didn't are if the plants lived or died." Really? Can't recommend this book to any of my Hasidic friends.
* A fair amount of masturbation and sexual violence, keeping me from giving this book to my tween kids who love Potok.

[Dennis Fischman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a unique combination of romance novel (with a fair amount of "spice" toward the end), snapshot of Orthodox Jewish life in NYC in the 1950's, and examination of the surprising resources for women's equality you can find in the pages of the Talmud and related commentaries. I say "combination" and not blend, because the ingredients don't always mix well. At times, it seems like the story is simply a vehicle for the Talmudic discussion; at other moments, the disturbing stories about sexual abuse and the erotic stories about relations between husband and wife take center stage.

Even though in some ways this book is a midrash on POTOK Chaim -'s novels published fifty or more years ago, you don't need to have read them to get into the story. And even though it's entirely set in a Jewish world, the glossary defines any Hebrew or Yiddish terms that aren't explained in the text, and the characters make their way of thinking clear to the most non-Jewish reader.

That being said, I am not sure who seeks books like this out. Probably it's Jewish women who are not in the Orthodox world themselves but feel curious about it--it's revealing that the book was published with questions for book club discussions in the back.
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[Marge Congress · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have not read this whole book......I just couldn't. I learned of it through a podcast where the author spoke almost continually for an hour. I thought that the concept - a Jewish woman in the 50s decides to learn about the Talmud even though it is seemingly forbidden by the rabbis for a woman to do that - sounded interesting.
When I received the book I was immediately turned off by the childish cover drawing. There is no way this semi-cartoonish illustration would interest anyone in opening it up.

The story started off interestingly, and I was enjoying it. There were so many instances where the woman and her teacher learned from each other, and the intriquite learning skills were used that were interesting. I read on, and they became a couple, and it was sweet. I found it interesting that he was observant until he wasn't, but hated that his girlfriend lied about doing things during the Sabbath.

Anyway I kept reading my ebook until I noticed I was only on about page 290 and there were 570 pages in this book. How much more of the same could I stand? None, it turns out. I simply stopped reading.

This was really disappointing because the concept was interesting, but it went on far too long. This just was not the book for me.

[Heidi Slowinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie Anton’s new release was inspired by Chaim Potock’s classic writings. Anton re-imagines Potock’s characters as young adults, living in Brooklyn, in the 1950s. This time, the storyline tackles gender equality in Judaism as journalist, Hannah Eisin seeks instruction in the Talmud from Rabbi Nathan Mandel, a text considered forbidden to women. Meeting in secret creates more challenges for their budding relationship as they pursue their studies.

I’ve been a fan of Anton’s writing since I picked up her series, Rashi’s Daughters, and this newest work did not disappoint. Anton creates characters that push the boundaries of traditional Judaism and Hannah Eisin is no exception. This story reflects on women’s roles in the Jewish community, as do many of Anton’s earlier works.

Beyond the main feminist themes, the book also explores racism and sexual abuse. Some of these sections may be difficult for some readers. The inclusions of specific passages from the Talmud add a certain element of study to the storyline, which I appreciated.

I was pleased to receive an advanced copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

[Sharyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I meant to reread The Chosen before I read this book, but somehow didn't get to it. Oh well. I have met Anton several times and have read all of her books, always learning new things. Fortunately for me, I have studied some Talmud, which really helped me read this book, but it certainly isn't necessary.
This truly is a lovely story, and watching Hannah, a very intelligent woman, learn, fall in love and mature is a very fulfilling read. Her interactions with Nathan, a boy she had a crush on in elementary school, are very real. So many characters in this book have secrets, and watching these secrets slowly revealed is another plus for me.
In addition, the evolution of Nathan from a strict Orthodox man to seeing the possibilities of continuing to believe in God and yet moving towards Conservative religious values interesting to me. I was raised Conservative and didn't know some of the differences on the prayers. Now a Reform Jew, I still hold a lot of the Conservative values I was raised with, and am quite pleased with the Reform movement moving closer to those values.
I am discussing this at a book club tomorrow and am quite looking forward to the discussion.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It can be dismaying to reread a favorite novel decades after its publication. Feminists, in particular, now realize many works they loved ignored women’s experiences. That’s what happened to Maggie Anton. When rereading Chaim Potok’s “The Chosen” and “The Promise” 55 years after they were published, she noticed something about the beloved novels that escaped her on first reading: there is little mention of the women – mothers and wives – in the main characters and their fathers’ lives. Anton decided to correct that in her latest work “The Choice: A Novel of Love, Faith, and the Talmud” (Banot Press), which continues the story of Potok’s protagonists during the 1950s, but which also features a woman as a main character.
See the rest of my review at https://www.thereportergroup.org/past...

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the Rashi's Daughters series as well as Chaim Potok's books, and looked forward to reading this. Yes, there was a fair amount of Talmud study, and for those not familiar with the Talmud or the way Jews study it, then some parts might be a slog. And there are many Yiddish phrases used that are mostly translated, but some are just left for the reader to figure out. The book did indict the role of women in the Orthodox world, and I thought did a good job of explaining how some of the strict rules might be bent. There are explicit sexual scenes, so probably not a good book to give as a Bat Mitzvah gift. On the whole, the book did not meet my expectations, maybe because Anton has set the bar so high with her previous books.

[debra L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read the series of Rashi's daughters, and really liked them, I had high expectations for this book. I was rather disappointed. While it was easy to read and generally kept your interest, I think the prolonged focus on certain areas of sexual relationships both in Talmud and the story line was excessive and didn't ring true to be really happening in the framework of that time or those characters.... On the other hand, the subject of abuse and denial in the religious world was appropriate and well integrated into this story . Should have stuck with that. The writing in general was not up to more than a 3 star level...

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I LOVE MAGGIE ANTON'S WRITING and I LOVED HER Rashi's Daughters trilogy. My rating for this book has nothing to do with her writing style and incredible skills but rather because I found the story line too didactic. I felt as though I was reading a talmudic textbook much of the time and it took away from being able to appreciate the characters. I found my mind wandering away from the story far too often and began skimming the talmudic arguments. I'm sorry Maggie! I hope you'll keep writing more of your historical biblical fiction.

[Barbara Birenbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really Good! I loved the characters, their tension and the development of their relationship amid 1950s events, culture and changes. Their challenges to tradition to balance with their values is inspiring.
In exquisite form with Maggie's Talmud scholarship, their study together captures the texts relevance and so much more. 3 am finish

[Suzanne Zorn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having loved Rashi’s Daughters by this author, I was very excited to read this book. I was very disappointed however. Despite raising many good points on how Talmud has been interpreted and Halacha has been codified over the years, the story is contrived and unrealistic in many regards and that detracted from the narrative.

[Adele Weinstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book.

[Randi]

When you read a Maggie Anton book you are expecting an expertly written novel with a some wonderful Talmud learning. This books gives those AND some vintage Brooklyn Dodgers baseball!!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, lots of research went into this, however, I felt it could have been two books as it started slow and ended abruptly.

[Deborah Letow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. A love story over learning Talmud. Hannah and Nathan find out they are a perfect match.
Maggie Anton writes wonderful stories, and you learn with the characters.

[Debby Schweighardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Read!

You won't be able to put this book down! It has many Talmudic tidbits many educational morsels. This book is worth every minute of your time.

[batya7 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not 100% accurate. Too much sex.

[Wendy Goldberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved Maggie Anton's, "Rashi's Daughters" series and this one fell flat for me. Too obvious where the story was heading.

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it - I've enjoyed her other books too!

[Suzanne Attig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it because the relationships were well-defined and the Talmud information was really fascinating.

[Barbara Lipkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not quite finished with this, but it gets worse and worse. So banal and trite. It sounds as if the writer had a list of points she wanted to make, and perfunctorily checked each one off as she came to it. I'm continuing reading because I'm supposed to be leading the discussion for a book group. If this is supposed to be a sort of sequel to Potok's The Chosen, it answers a lot of the questions Potok didn't address, such as where are the women? But the writing is truly awful. I'm giving it 3 stars only because the story might be interesting and worth telling, in the hands of a much better writer.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read

[Harriet · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting introduction to Talmud. I enjoyed this book

[Mary Aviyah Farkas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not done yet reading The Choice by Maggie Anton, but it is captivating in its details about events from the 1950's as well as Maggie's brilliant knowledge and defense of Women in Talmud and Torah.