In France in the year 1096, everyone in the Jewish community is terrified of the Crusaders, who have been known to burn Jewish houses in the name of religion.
Elvina, the funny, feisty, twelve-year-old granddaughter of the great rabbi Rashi, knows how to read and write—very rare for a girl of her time. She draws strength from this, as well as from her guardian angel, to whom she speaks constantly. Then one cold Sabbath afternoon while Elvina is alone in the house, three soldiers pound on her door. One of them is wounded. Elvina has only a moment to make a difficult choice that could put her family and the entire community at risk. Can her guardian angel guide her now?
Winner of the Prix Sorcieres, France’s most prestigious award for children’s literature, this is a story of compassion and tolerance that speaks to people of all faiths.
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"Troyes, France, 1076, during the first Crusade. " — Krista (4 out of 5 stars)
"Troyes, France, 1076, during the first Crusade. "
“Readers don’t have to be Jewish to appreciate this beautifully written story and its wonderfully realized characters and fascinating setting. Lovely.”
“This French import offers a heady plunge into medieval Europe as well as an enlightening lesson about anti-Semitism in a time period long before the Holocaust.”
“Descriptions of traditions are well done and informative. Elvina’s story brings a time, a place, and a people long ignored to life.”
“An intriguing take on the experience of being Jewish in Europe in 1096.”
“Brings to life a smart, wise, bold, and insecure twelve-year-old who relies on her ‘mazal,’ her guardian angel, for advice.”
" I think it was very boring because there was no action. J. M. "
" Troyes, France, 1076, during the first Crusade. "
Sylvie Weil grew up in France and earned degrees in classics and French literature from the Sorbonne in Paris. She has taught in several universities in France and the United States. She makes her home in both Paris and New York City.
Vanessa Benjamin (a.k.a. Roe Kendall) is a native of the British Isles. Some twenty-five years ago she moved to the United States with her family and set down roots in Maryland. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London, receiving their silver medal as well as the Sir Emile Littler and Caryl Brahms awards. Benjamin has performed on stage in the Washington, DC, area for several years and at many venues and has performed at the Kennedy Center as Mrs. Schubert in the long-running show Shear Madness. An accomplished actress and narrator, she has recorded over two hundred books. Her work as a freelance voice-over artist and narrator has led her in many interesting directions, from technical government materials to eighteenth-century romance novels to hotel advertising, but narrating books is what she really enjoys. “I really love playing all the parts when I narrate a book. It’s an adventure, a challenge, and above all I feel that I learn something new with each book I read. I do a lot of reading for the Library of Congress’ Blind and Physically Handicapped program, and it is so rewarding for me especially when I get a letter from a patron; it’s a great service for the listener.”
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