Author to speak at Jewish book club

Historical fiction author Maggie Anton will visit LMU’s campus this weekend.  The Sunday Jewish Book Series, a monthly book club that focuses on books about Jewish culture, is bringing Anton to William H. Hannon Library’s Von der Ahe Suite from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 18. She will not only discuss her trilogy, “Rashi’s Daughters,” but will also speak about the real-life characters she encapsulated in her fiction and the extensive research she conducted to accurately depict them.

“I don’t close any doors,” Anton said about her trilogy.  “I wanted the readers to be aware that these aren’t only real historical people I am writing about, but also that this is how life was in 11th- and 12th- century France.”

Anton described her decision to write the trilogy as her desire to “write the books that I wanted to read.” In 1992, she was inspired to take a class on Talmud, a collection of discussions on Jewish ethics written circa 200 AD, to learn about why women were prevented from studying the religious texts.  During the class, she learned of Talmudic authority Salomon ben Isaac, or “Rashi,” and his daughters, who studied Talmud – a rarity for women. 

“As I was researching the lives of Jewish women in 11th- and 12th- century France, I discovered that this time period is one that most people don’t know about at all,” Anton said.

Anton hopes to reveal some truths about this time period, one that she described as “a time in which intellectual life was flowering.”

A visit from an author is a once-a-semester special for the Sunday Jewish Book Series. The group was created just a couple of years ago by Head of Media and Access Services for Hannon Library Rhonda Rosen.  After hearing about the creation of the Jewish studies minor, Rosen wanted to explore a way for the Library to complement and promote this new addition.  She discovered a grant called “Let’s Talk About It” that she described as a “book group in a can.” Not only does it financially support the creation of a Jewish-based book club, but it also gives advice on what books to read each month.

With this grant, Rosen was able to create the Sunday Jewish Book Club. Thanks to funding from Library Dean Kristine Brancolini, the book club is now in its fourth semester despite the fact that the grant only lasted one semester.

“The only reason I did it beyond the first semester is because the group really wanted it,” Rosen said.

Rosen hopes to see students at the event and stressed that one does not need to be Jewish to enjoy the event. She said that the “core group” that usually attends the monthly meetings is probably only half Jewish.

“I think it’s really important for everybody to be open to other cultures,” Rosen said.  “Everybody should be exposed at all times, as much as possible. Especially at college, because that’s the time in your life where you are ready to be open to everything.”

Anton has done many book tours already but particularly enjoys visiting college campuses to speak about her topic and research.

“I can assure the people who attend the event that they are going to learn some very cool trivia about life in the 11th and 12th centuries that will surprise them and impress them,” Anton said. “This time period is not the Dark Ages ... a lot of important stuff was going on then.”

To see a complete list of past books the Sunday Jewish Book Series has read, as well as to receive information about future selections, visit their Web site at libguides.lmu.edu/jewishbooks. The event is free and open to the community.