Our August selection is The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish, an interwoven tale of two women living centuries apart—one a 17th century scribe for a blind rabbi and the other a 21st century scholar specializing in Jewish history. Kadish says of her novel: "The Weight of Ink reaches back in time to ask the question: What does it take for a woman not to be defeated when everything around her is telling her to sit down and mind her manners? I started writing with two characters in mind, both women who don’t mind their manners: a contemporary historian named Helen Watt and a seventeenth century Inquisition refugee named Ester Velasquez.” As Helen studies Esther, their stories begin to mirror one another, with each woman struggling to overcome societal obstacles and seize opportunities that appear out of reach.
Yay—the librarian was able to cancel my current hold and make a new one which she suspended until 7/1, so I don’t get and start reading too early.
I picked my copy up yesterday from the library. I’m traveling this week and should have some time to delve into it.
Just put the hard copy on hold; #21 so timing might work out. Keeping the ebook from Amazon Prime as a back up.
Hope to join you in August!
I loved this book! Great selection.
Mine just came in the mail. I will start it when I finish the book that I am reading now.
My book was sitting on the hold shelf last time I was at the library. Too soon!
Holy cow was so hard to find this with the “new improved site” ughhhhhhhh awful
Maybe we should post here every couple of days so it stays near the top!
OMG, I truly dislike when they “improve” things on this site! I barely got used to the last major change they did. So far, not impressed.
Scrolling on the phone, my major way of viewing this site has become very challenging because it’s so spread out now. I’m not a fan either. Hope it goes back to the former version. 
I just want to give everyone a head’s up. This book is wonderful – I’m on page 384, with about 170 to go – but it is not a quick read by any means. It’s a very serious, dense, thoughtful book, and I’m taking my time reading it. It references a lot of historical things that I know very little about – Spinoza; Portuguese Jews; the Jewish community in Amsterdam in the early part of the 17th century. I think I’m probably going to reread the book (quicker next time) with more knowledge.
I just started. Good so far!
I just finished it. Very satisfying. I’m really glad we picked this one; I’m not sure I ever would have read it on my own. I’m going to wait a few days (and read some junk in the meantime) and then start it again. There is a lot in there that I know I missed the first time around.
I definitely want to reread before discussing.
I am glad you bumped up this thread, for me, to see the book to be discussed.
“With the help of יהוה”
I will join the discussion in August.
@VeryHappy, thanks for the heads up. I just started the book and I’m not a fast reader, so I’m glad I didn’t wait until mid-July.
I’ve just started rereading it. (Only up to about page 30.) I have a lot of research to do as I reread this. Boy, is there a lot of history I don’t know anything about.
Just got a note that this book is waiting for me at my public library! I will pick it up in two days—can’t wait!
Also got notified that I have “Educated” as an ebook. I will be busy!