Synopses & Reviews
Tamar Finegold is twenty-one years old, the happy, beautiful bride of a rising young Rabbi in one of Brooklyn's insulated, ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities. Having married the man of her dreams and taken her place as a wife—and hopefully soon-to-be mother—in her community, Tamar feels as though the world is at her feet. But her secure, predictable existence is brought to an abrupt end when she is raped by an intruder. Fearing the unbearable stigma and threat to her marriage that could result from telling the truth, Tamar makes a fateful decision that changes her life forever. Her feeling that she did the only thing she could under the circumstances explodes when years later a shocking, undreamed of turn of events finally forces her to confront her past, once and for all
Review
“A compelling and heartbreaking novel. Devastating, electric and illuminating, it held me, moved me, and gave me insight into a mysterious and demanding way of life.” -Iris Rainer Dart, New York Times bestselling author of Beaches
“A complex and moving story with a deft touch as Tamars outwardly perfect life must finally be reconciled with her long-kept secret.” -Booklist
"[Ragen's] fluid writing and fascinating descriptions of an exotic community will make this an attractive title." --Library Journal
“A fascinating glimpse into a little-known world.” -Jacqueline Briskin, author of The Naked Heart
Synopsis
A violent crime transforms the predictable life of a young Rabbi's wife, leading to terrible sacrifices. Tamar Fine gold is a happy young bride in one of Brooklyn's insulated ultra-Orthodox enclaves. But this staid, predictable life is violently altered when Tarmer is raped by an intruder as she baby-sits for her nephew. Humiliated and confused, she refuses to risk the unbearable stigma of discovery, but in her attempt to hide her shame, she is sent plummeting into a moral crisis: when she discovers she is pregnant and cannot be sure who the father is. In the end, heartbreaking sacrifices and impossible decisions lead to a surprising triumph of the human spirit.
About the Author
Naomi Ragen is the author of novels including The Tenth Song, 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 social code of the ultra Orthodox world serves not only as the background for
The Sacrifice of Tamar, but as one of its most controversial elements. How would you define that code, and in what way is it a catalyst for the behavior of the characters?
2. In discussing this book, the author said portraying Tamar sympathetically was extremely challenging. In what way does Tamars behavior evoke antagonism in the reader? What events and information does the author supply that help evince sympathy for her decision and her plight?
3. Describe Josh. What do you think his reaction would have been had Tamar told him the truth immediately?
4. Tamar hides the truth. How would the community have reacted had Tamar let the truth about the rape be known? Her family? Was Tamars sacrifice in vain?
5. Tamars cousin Zissel appears only briefly in the story. Why is Zissel important to the story?
6. At the beginning of the book, Tamar has the simplistic belief that “God treated you the way you treated others.” What happens to this belief by the end of the book? Is it still intact? Has it changed? In what ways?
7. What, exactly, is the sacrifice Tamar makes? Or is it Tamar herself who is sacrificed? What does she gain from her behavior, and what does she lose?
8. The Sacrifice of Tamar has an important racial element. Is Tamar a racist? How does the book portray racism?
9. In Tamar, Jenny, and Hadassah, the book presents three models of religious adherence. What are they? How would you describe the positive and negative role religion plays in each of their lives?