Synopses & Reviews
When life is at its best, the unimaginable can shatter everything you think you know…
Abigail Samuels has no reason to feel anything but joy on the morning her life falls apart. The epitome of the successful Jewish American woman, she is married to a well-known and respected accountant and is in the middle of planning her daughter Kaylas wedding. Kayla, too, wakes up that morning with the world in the palm of her hand. Having lived the charmed life of a well-loved child from a happy family, she is a bright, pretty Harvard law student who has never really questioned the path she found herself on.
With a shocking suddenness, all that is smashed to pieces in ways they could never have dreamed. When a heartbroken Kayla runs away to a desert commune run by a charismatic mystic, Abigail rushes to save her, only to find that there is nothing more whole than a broken heart.
Review
“Naomi skillfully spins her magic with credible, charismatic characters who we can easily relate to, tricky, sometimes drastic situations, the shining importance of family values, and finding out who we really are, deep down inside, even if it is the hard way.” - Tatiana de Rosnay, New York Times bestselling author of Sarahs Key
“A vivid and compelling story about the cost of security and the value of love as a woman struggles to save her husband, her daughter - and herself.” - India Edghill, author of Delilah and Wisdoms Daughter
“A page-turner illustrating the horrifying consequences of becoming embroiled in the American legal system.” - Kirkus Reviews
"The unexpected turns Ragen puts on this family's path to healing and happiness are a pleasant surprise.” - Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Naomi Ragen is the author of novels including The Sacrifice of Tamar, Sotah, The Covenant, and The Saturday Wife. Her books are international bestsellers, and her weekly email columns on life in the Middle East are read by thousands of subscribers worldwide. Ragen attended Brooklyn College and earned her masters in English from Hebrew University. An American, she has lived in Jerusalem since 1971. She was recently voted one of the three most popular authors in Israel.
Reading Group Guide
1. The Tenth Song takes place in both America and Israel. In your opinion, why did the author choose to tell the story this way? Had the characters remained in America, would it have been a different story? In what way?
2. Describe Abigail and Adams relationship. What are its strong points? Flaws? How does their ordeal affect that relationship?
3. Who was your favorite character? Your least favorite? Why?
4. The characters in The Tenth Song all go through difficult, life-changing trials. In the end, was their suffering constructive or destructive to them? Why?
5. Describe the relationship between Kayla and her mother, Abigail, before and after their sojourn in the desert.
6. Describe your own worst trial and how it affected you. What do you think the author is saying about surviving ordeals?
7. Kayla has to choose between two men. Do you think she makes the right choice? Why or why not?
8. What is the meaning of the title The Tenth Song? Describe your own Tenth Song.