John Woman

 

by Walter Mosley (read by Dion Graham) c. 2018

 

There is so much more here than I can absorb in one reading

I don't remember who said what that caused me to delve further into Walter Mosley but before I knew it, I was adding John Woman to my Plus Catalog reads. I've read two of Mosley's Easy Rawlins mystery stories but didn't want to read any more of his mysteries; I wanted to see if he had written anything else that I might be interested in reading. For some reason, I chose John Woman.

I just finished and already I am at the keyboard, getting my thoughts on paper. I tore through it but realized early on that I would have to read it again and maybe again before I got it all. There is so much going on here. Some of it I found to be disturbing. Most of it, I found intriguing-- and it's the intriguing that kept me reading. But, what is sending me back for the re-reads is all that he has to say about deconstructing history, how we confront the past, what is truth, how do we move forward.

I have to read this book again.

Sacred Treasure, the Cairo Genizah: The Amazing Discoveries of Forgotten Jewish History in an Egyptian Synagogue Attic

Written and narrated by Rabbi Mark Glickman

I've known about the Cairo Genizah for so many years that I can't even remember where I first heard about it. But my knowledge was slim. I knew that it was discovered by Solomon Schechter. I knew it was one of the most important discoveries of old Jewish documents in the modern age but I had never heard an in-depth account of the discovery itself or of the details of its contents and its significance. In fact, I am amazed that it has taken a hundred years for such a book to be written. Thank you Rabbi Glickman for undertaking the task and for choosing to write for the mass market rather than a scholarly tome.

So, who should read this book--well certainly not anyone who thinks that they are getting an Indiana Jones adventure or a Dan Brown thriller. This is a history book. It deals in fact, some of which is rather down to earth and just plain scholarly. It is also a labor of love--and Rabbi Glickman's warmth and enthusiasm turn a story that could be deadly boring into a fascinating glimpse into the world of academic scholarship, ancient texts and the effort to find them, preserve and study them.

Originally published 7:00 pm 31 January 2012 on Booklikes.com