THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS - Michelle Cameron
The Story of Shira of Ashkenaz
Pocket
ISBN: 978-1-4391-1822-1
September 2009
Historical Fiction

Europe in the Thirteenth Century

Meir ben Baruch of Rothenberg was a respected Jewish scholar in the thirteenth century who is known for his composition of one of the liturgical laments in the annual service that mourns the tragic history of the Jews. The author discovered that Meir is one of her ancestors and began to research his life. THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS is a fictional account of Meir’s wife, Shira, who narrates the story of Meir and the world around them.

Shira lost her mother as a young child and is raised by her doting father, a rabbi who runs the Jewish seminary that he created. Acting against tradition, Shira’s father educates her, teaching her what the young men in his school learn, although he is careful to keep her training secret. Nevertheless, the independent, free-thinking Shira attracts the attention of two young men who are as different as night and day. The first, Nicholas Donin, who has been barred from previous schools because of his bizarre thinking, wants to marry Shira, but is rebuffed by both Shira and her father. That decision will come back to haunt them later. Meir ben Baruch, the other man, is a brilliant boy whose reputation as a scholar endears him to the rabbi. Meir and Shira are betrothed soon after Meir’s arrival, but they wait for several years before marrying.

Once wed, Meir, now a rabbi, and Shira live in France and Germany, trying to keep away from the growing threats to the Jewish communities. Shira’s observations of the world that is getting more dangerous for her and her people every day is filled with details of medieval life, but also with her own personal feelings about her husband and his works. At one point, despite the fact that an educated woman is frowned upon, Meir enlists his wife to help him write letters, and Shira soon becomes deeply involved with the political issues swirling around them.

A beautifully written saga, THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS is a glowing tribute to the Jewish people of Ashkenaz, a region of Europe that encompassed parts of France and Germany. Shira’s bravery and intelligence symbolize the struggle of so many of her compatriots throughout history. Her love of Meir and their family keeps her strong throughout the years of their marriage as they move from one place to another, trying to preserve their way of life.

With strong main characters, a myriad of important secondary players, THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS is a gripping, fascinating, and informative narrative of a tragic, yet important historical period.

Jani Brooks