WINNER OF A NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD A USA TODAY BESTSELLER “A gifted writer, astonishingly adept at nuance, narration, and the politics of passion.”—Toni Morrison Set in London of the 1660s and of the early twenty-first century, The Weight of Ink is the interwoven tale of two women of remarkable intellect: Ester Velasquez, an emigrant from Amsterdam who is permitted to scribe for a blind … who is permitted to scribe for a blind rabbi, just before the plague hits the city; and Helen Watt, an ailing historian with a love of Jewish history.
When Helen is summoned by a former student to view a cache of newly discovered seventeenth-century Jewish documents, she enlists the help of Aaron Levy, an American graduate student as impatient as he is charming, and embarks on one last project: to determine the identity of the documents’ scribe, the elusive “Aleph.”
Electrifying and ambitious, The Weight of Ink is about women separated by centuries—and the choices and sacrifices they must make in order to reconcile the life of the heart and mind.
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Though at times this really dragged on, the topic was new for me and at times I could visualize clearly the London of this time. Interesting twists and turns. I did early on guess the ending “surprise” relationship between a famous author and our protagonist.
Interesting history combined with modern historians long
What a great book. Highly recommend to anyone that likes to read books that tie the past to the present. Well written and very interesting subject (s).
Liked it a lot
This book is for real book lovers. The plot is excellent and I was totally captivated by all the characters. The writer teases us with a story that unfurls in such a way that you as the reader are both excited because you are in on the mystery and then stunned because you didn’t see that twist coming. I really loved this book. If you are a discerning reader I think you will too. More, Ms Kadish, more please!
Beautifully written, wonderful book!
Difficult reading at times, but worth it
Wonderful mix of history of Inquisition Early Jewish settlers in England circa 1600:
Interwoven to the story are present day historians interpreting centuries old Hebrew letters and documents and how 2 key players are affected by the process.
This book is engaging,well written and illuminating.
Exceptional literary fiction. Pulls reader into a historical investigation that can’t be anticipated. One of the best I’ve read lately.
It’s the best piece of writing I have read in a while. Absolutely riveting story, with characters I truly came to know and love. Nothing I can say does this book justice. It is just truly excellent.
Did not finish. I got very bored. I have read a lot of books out Jewish explosion from countries. Took to long for anything to happen.
I enjoyed the book right up until the stereotypical and disappointing librarian (archivist) and conservator characters straight out of central casting, which are so grossly interchangeable that the author went so far as to give them the same first name! As an archivist, I was shocked by such a rude portrayal that does not seem accurate in the least. It makes me feel the writer relied on outdated stereotypes because I know of no archivists who behave remotely like the Librarian Patricia in this book. The two Patricias were so obviously set up to act as a foil for the protagonist, but it seemed misguided and just rather unfortunate that the two characters who chose a life of service are the ones to be disparaged so thoroughly. Not the socialites, not the academic administrators, but the librarians. And, couldn’t they at least have different first names?
I was willing to overlook the inconsistencies in archival appraisal, care, and processing for the joy of reading a fictional story about historical documents, but I’m in the middle and considering not finishing because the treatment of the two Patricias just makes me rather annoyed.
Great historical novel.
Wonderful literary novel that melds events in the 16th century with those of the early 21st century. Fascinating historical perspective with a couple of utterly compelling characters. Probably my favorite book of 2017.
Historical fiction
This book was multi-layered and complex. It could serve as a basis for a class discussion for at least a semester.
Reading the history of the Jewish characters in 17th century London opened up a portion of history I knew nothing about, so that is good. The book just goes on and on and on……some passages are wonderful, others simply tedious.
Probably the best book I’ve read this year.