A delightful compendium of consolation a fabulous tale of romance adventure & faith in the medieval Mediterranean - Burton L. Visotzky

Ony dearest brother:

Swear to me that you will not breathe a word to anyone of what Jam writing you - not to Mommy, certainly not to Daddy.

You are old enough to keep a secret. I know f can count on you....

The year is 1031. Karimah, a charming, headstrong, Jewish 19-year-old, has followed her heart on an adventure that will take her far from home.

The story is revealed in her letters to the family she left behind in Egypt, their letters to her, and their correspondence with others as they seek to make sense of the disorder that Karimah has brought to their lives.

Details of everyday life from a millenium ago are now familiar to scholars through the discovery of the Cairo Geniza, a synagogue storeroom full of several centuries' worth of religious manuscripts, receipts, and business correspondence.

In this novel, Burton Visotzky imagines that the Geniza letters, which opened a window onto history, also granted us an intimate look at the human heart.

"Beguiling storytelling sorcery...

Scheherazade crossed with A. B. Yehoshua...

absolutely brilliant."

Letty Cottin Pogrebin, author of

Dahrah Golda and Me: Being Female and Jewish in America