Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion

So after reading Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin and The Book of Splendor by Frances Sherwood I am interested in any books, as stated in the title, featuring the Jewish faith, people, country and/or culture.
I am not looking for one small lonesome money lender character but a whole book.
Any era is welcome from ancient to modern historical fiction. Ideas for non-fiction will also be accepted. :)

Ideas please........

Hmmm....I will have to think about this one. :-)

You might want to try the Catherine Le Vendeur mystery series, starting with Death Comes As Epiphany by Sharan Newman. It's about Jews and Christians in medieval France. I loved the series.

Funny you should mention it......I have it out from the library right now. Though I have it out because it's a historical mystery, I hadn't realized the Jews were in it. Maybe I'll have to start it this weekend. :)

All the ones I can think of are war related. As you are finding out, jewish history doesn't start and finish with the holocaust. There is a colourful history to be found on the Jewish. I know they have some wild 'fairytales and mythology'.

You may be interested in
Elijah's Violin &Amp; Other Jewish Fairy Tales

Here's the first in another historical mystery series, about a blind Jewish physician in 14th century Spain. Remedy for Treason by Caroline Roe. I just love historical mysteries.

My library doesn't have the first 5 in that series unfortunately. I'll keep an eye out for them though, it looks good.

I finished 'Death comes as Epiphany'. Thought it was great, so much so that I had to buy the next four books 'cause my library only has #1, #6, #7, #8 and #9. They are supposed to come in 7-14 days. :)

A very non fiction book and focusing entirely on a specific part of Judaism - The Saphardic or Spanish Jews starting in the fifteenth century- as the author traces his family history:
The Cross and the Pear Tree by Victor Perera.
(I cant figure out how to post as link, sorry)

A Bag of Marbles by Joseph Joffo Is a strangely light-hearted and engaging story of how, as children Joseph and his brother kept ahead of the Germans in France.

Shalom, Japan: A Sabra's Five Years in the Land of the Rising Sun by Shifra Horn
Is a very funny story of an Israeli living in Japan, modern though, not historical.


Spinoza: A Life by Steven M. Nadler
Tells the story of one of the great philosophers but gives a super excellent picture of the seventeenth century Amsterdam Jewish community, it's members, organisation and habits. I found it very readable.

I'll stop now shall I :)

Thank you, I will check them all out. And if you want to add more to the list, go right ahead. I'll take all the suggstions I can get! :)

As for posting links: there is a 'add book/author' button at the top of the comment box. Once opened you can search by book or author and post either the name or picture by choosing at the bottom.

Duh. I am a Luddite and yes, I still don't have a e reader :)
One More River

methinks that may not have worked, ah well. This is a 'young adult' book and a bit rare. It is a reasonably good representation of the culture shock of a westernised Jewish teenager in the 60's who's family moves to Israel.
More of an Israeli story than a Jewish history one, and the two are often very different.

But without knowing your preferences Dawn, I think I might just suggest you take a look at:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/j...

Now, now, not a Luddite if you don't have an eReader. :-) Never. Not unless you really are abhorrant of new technology.

Don't worry Deborah, I don't have a e-reader either. Thank you for the website it looks great. Looks like my TBR list will be getting even longer..... :)

Chris, I don't think I've ever been on 'Outlook Online'. Rather than wait the indeterminite amount of time to get a inter-libary loan I've always just bought what I can't find locally. I am getting quite a list of books that I don't want to buy so I might try it out soon. Thanks for the suggestions. :)

Consider The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon

Have you read it Carol? It's on my to-read list already, how good is it?

The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon looks great. Terrific cover art on that edition that Carol linked.

The cover makes me want to read it. I am adding it to the tbr.

Yes, I read it many years ago and loved it

I'm pretty happy that my library has it, I'm aiming to read it this year sometime.

You will enjoy it and it covers an interesting time in history. I.e.the Diaspora of the Jews from Portugal which I knew very little about as most history discusses the diaspora from Spain.

The Last Kabbalist! yes that was a good read! I might have to revist it. I never warmed to Exodus, I tried to since I likes his other books, but I just couldn't.

I am a rabid David Liss fan, and while I wouldn't necessarily say the themes of the books are Jewish, they play a highly relevant role in his Benjamin Weaver novels(starting with A Conspiracy of Paper). The main character is a bit of a rogue, but charmingly so, and his coming from a Jewish family and having a high profile in the early 1700s make for some great reads.

I have A Conspiracy of Paper marked as to-read but I have to find a copy of it first. It looks good but neither my library or favorite used book store have a copy.

Read his books too, but am still more interested in earlier historical times. Does anyone have suggestions beyond Ivanhoe and the isaac of Genoa series?

Had to look David Liss up to see which books were his. Unfortunately I haven't heard of him. Now I know who he is though. :)


David Liss

Carol wrote: "Read his books too, but am still more interested in earlier historical times. Does anyone have suggestions beyond Ivanhoe and the isaac of Genoa series?"

Do you mean with a Jewish connection, Carol? And how early? Roman times early? Or later?

Not just a Jewish connection rather where a major character is either a Jew or dealing with the Jewish population of their milieu directly (think Ivanhoe) or a Jew in hiding. Something like that

@Carol - Fiction then?
Ivanhoe. ok, well I actually found the book very difficult to read due to the nauseating level of anti-Semitic stereotyping. It was accurate to the day in which Scott was writing (if not to the era he was writing about) so I bore with it best I could.

I'll think about it, there have been a lot of 'romantic fiction' type books written with Jewish characters, some of them are quite well researched and not bad. The books of Rachel by Joel Gross was pretty good have you tried that one?

No I haven't but read the blurb and other reader comments on it's site on Amazon, and it is not something I am really into...a bit schmaltzy for me. Maybe we should includePeople of the Book It we pretty good. And It fits the category

Last Kabbalist and All Other Nights are both great. King of Flesh and Blood by Moshe Shamir is fascinating (about Alexander Yannai) and As a Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg are two of my suggestions.

Hi Susan
Could you please include some links for those books you would like to recommend to us?
Please, don't worry about asking how to do that, if you don't know how to use the add book/author feature. :)
You'd be surprised how many people on Goodreads don't know how to do it.

King of Flesh and Blood
As a Driven Leaf
Hope that's right!

Perfect! :D
Thanks Susan. Now I can have a look at your recommendations.

I see both rate well on GR, but King of Flesh and Blood rates very well. Mostly 5 star reviews.

Oh, yes, Robert Graves' Claudius the God (Sequel to I, Claudius) has a long section about King Agrippa I. Claudius the God and His Wife Messalina

I, Claudius is one book I have never gotten to. I might be one of the last to read it when I get around to it.

I, Claudius is great. I've read it half a dozen times or so. If you enjoy history, gossip & intrigue, you'll have a great time!

I have heard it can drag and bog down.
That is the one thing that keeps putting me off...well..that and the fact Roman HF is not a huge favourite of mine. lol. :)
I do read Roman hf, but I rarely seek it out.

Well, chacon a son gout, but I, Claudius is one of my favorites. And I'm interested in that period. So even when I don't like the Roman characters, I often read the books.

I think it helps to be interested in the period. I have been interested in it before, but it wore off. No doubt it will come back to me again and I'll start chasing Roman reads.

Douglas Jackson's Defender of Rome features as a prominent character a Jewish doctor from Judea working in Nero's Rome. Though he turns out to be a little more than what he first seems. I can't say any more than that without spoiling the book.

I wish the library had this book, I'd like to try the series.

Linda, you've got to please start adding links. Doesn't have to be the cover, but the title please. Thanks Linda.

The Haj

The Haj
Okay. Got a title at least. My search picked up the cover and title and maybe the author. I hit the add button but only the name carried over to the comment. I did it by myself, thank you very much.
Surely no one is following this practice session. In the event that they are: This is a required test. Repeat: THIS IS A TEST!

The one book that I keep being referred to is Exodus, by Leon Uris, which you guys have already mentioned. I haven't read it myself, but it is sitting in my TBR list and I will be all over it when it finally makes it to Kindle >8)

ib.

I own that one. Have a few by Leon Uris.. I never feel compelled to read those I haven't read.

Linda wrote: "The Haj
Okay. Got a title at least. My search picked up the cover and title and maybe the author. I hit the add button but only the name carried over to the comment. I did it by myself, thank y..."

Perfecto. :-) Title link is working fine.

Ireney wrote: "The one book that I keep being referred to is Exodus, by Leon Uris, which you guys have already mentioned. I haven't read it myself, but it is sitting in my TBR list and I will be all over it when..."

The Haj Ireney,read THE HAJ first. I liked it better than EXODUS. Mr. Uris has written historical fiction about factions causing troubles in other countries.

Practice session: This is the second discussion post wherein I practiced.

It is working, Linda. :)

I had some good help from Goodreads. Thanks.