March BuddyRead
Here are some of the discussion questions we’ve explored so far.
| The exact description of the cheesecake is what I remember eatingfrom childhood, in Florida with my grandparents in Boca Raton. yum. Shavuot the only religious celebration that has dairy: thus cheesecake . I found this article that is somewhat helpful to a back story . Do you know the Jewish history that is mentioned in this book??Article:https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/shavuot-ruth-and-cheesecake/ Jews have been associated with moneylending for at least a millennia. The most common explanation for this has been the exclusion of European Jews in the Middle Ages from various guilds, their confinement to ghettos and restrictions preventing them from owning land. Additionally, medieval Christian theology held that charging interest (known as usury) was sinful, which kept many Christians from becoming financiers. The field thus came to be dominated by Jews. This is one of the reasons they did not touch, sin they didn’t want to become dirty or seen as associated with. What do you think of this as a living for people ?? Mireym taking over because she knew sums well and her doing so well is probably attributed to the high importance of literacy in the Jewish community. As a way to combat their station most Jewish families especially the mothers made sure their children were highly educated. Thus Mireyum would be well prepared. Do you think you could do this? Confront people for what they owed? Does her being female matter? Oleg is dead. Why do you think his wife did not cry? Considering what he tried to do to Miryem, do you think this is how he treated his wife? Why do you think the author made a point to write she had dry eyes? Miryem walked through town “scowled at instead of smirked at” , which is worse do you think ?? Does the phrase “Better to be despised for too anxious apprehension than ruined by too confident a security” work here??? Why do you think she took the walk?? When grandfather was saying “grow a bit fatter with the dowry growing as well to help get a husband with good sense to want a wife who brought more to the marriage than beauty, but not so greedy he didn’t care for her appearance …” did you scream in protest ?! Is this how women are seen today. Do you ever wonder what it would be like if the world judged by the person and not their appearance and looks/weight was not considered anything important ? How does this affect our three ladies??? The spin the grandfather put on Miryems impending doom of her marriage to Staryk, what did you think of that? Hold your head UP, even though he doesn’t know the rest of your worth. Is the grandfather inflicting worth on her, making her stronger and more able to endure what may come her way?? Baba Yaga. Irena knows this Russian Fairy tale and it is mentioned more than once. My grandma used to tell me this story as well. It is common in my Jewish ancestry but also in Russian and Yiddish speaking and Jewish histories as well. Baba Yaga may help or hinder those that encounter or seek her out and may play a maternal role and has associations with forest wildlife. According to folktale morphology, Baba Yaga commonly appears as either a donor, villain, or may be altogether ambiguous. Why do you think this is used in the story? The Tzar and sorcery are together a lot of the time in history. Usually causing the downfall of the Tzar. The last Tzar is said to have been taken down by the black magic of Rasputin. Irena finds out as a child about the young Tzar. His evil. Do you think the young Tzar is a willing participant or is he desperately trying to break free by handing the evil being Irena? Is he cursed because of or by his mother? Rumpelstiltskin in this read have you found the similarities ?? Silver into Gold Three Questions The Miller bragged/Miryem bragged Father impressed by King/father impressed by Tsar Not knowing names Did you find any other similarities ? Are you looking for them? The dad of Wanda is finally dead, Wanda flees. They appear to be in the forest of Staryk as does Irena when she goes through the mirror. Do you you think the three will meet up? And for what ? Stepon. What did you think of this younger brothers story? What did you think of Miryems parents always being so welcoming to anyone and treating them with such grace and giving their best to them? Faith is a huge part of so far, two of the women in our story. Catholicism and Judaism. Comfort in the ritual comfort in the familiar comfort in their prayers even when they are using it solely to save themselves. Are you familiar with these faiths? Is faith like this for you? Mirrors. Irena uses it to save herself and Miryem is given one to help her see day/night also saving her. When Egyptians tried to end Jews by not letting them go home at night.The women realised this, and decided to frustrate Pharaoh’s plan. They used mirrors to make themselves attractive to their husbands. The result was that intimate relations resumed. The women conceived and had children, because of this was there a new generation of Jewish children. The women, by their faith, courage and ingenuity, secured Jewish survival. In the Talmud this is told as well as women offering mirrors to melt for offering and God saying they were the most precious thing, as it saved the Jewish race. So do you think the mirrors are intentional? Does it mean more with this knowledge ?? |
It’s been a lot of fun reading and using the history I know about folklore and fairytales, Judaism, Christianity, anti-semitism and trying to find the clues in relationship to Rumpelstiltskin.
We are finishing up this week. I can not wait to see how it ends!
Reading on……..
