“With a varied cast of characters and an action-packed plot, Elvina's Mirror will keep the young reader's interest from beginning to end.” -- AJL Newsletter The tale of Rashi's granddaughter, a young girl who defies her community to help a friend in need; In this sequel to My Guardian Angel, Sylvie Weil continues the story of Elvina, the 14-year-old granddaughter of Rashi, the famous 11th-century French Bible and Talmud commentator. It is the spring of 1097 in the town of Troyes, in France. The Crusaders have been marauding their way through Europe, attacking Jewish communities. One evening, a mysterious family arrives in Troyes--German Jews forced by the Crusaders to submit to baptism. The townspeople shun the family, but Elvina befriends 11-year-old Columba. Columba's mad cousin, Ephraim, steals a mirror from a member of the Jewish community, believing it will let him see his family killed in the recent attacks. Elvina tries to help Ephraim rid his mind of the terrible images by bringing him her own mirror, in which she claims to see a positive future. Elvina's story brings the often-ignored world of Medieval European Jewry to life for young readers

Weil, Sylvie

Philadelphia, PA: Jewish Publication Society

1st ed., Philadelphia, PA, Pennsylvania, 2009

United States, United States of America

2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award, Notable Book for Older Readers The tale of Rashis granddaughter, a young girl who defies her community to help a friend in need. In this sequel to My Guardian Angel , Sylvie Weil continues the story of Elvina, the 14-year-old granddaughter of Rashi, the famous eleventh-century French Bible and Talmud commentator. It is the spring of 1097 in the town of Troyes, in France. The Crusaders have been marauding their way through Europe, attacking Jewish communities. One evening, a mysterious family arrives in TroyesGerman Jews forced by the Crusaders to submit to baptism.
The townspeople shun the family, but Elvina befriends eleven-year-old Columba. Columbas mad cousin, Ephraim, steals a mirror from a member of the Jewish community, believing it will let him see his family killed in the recent attacks. Elvina tries to help Ephraim rid his mind of the terrible images by bringing him her own mirror, in which she claims to see a positive future. Elvinas story brings the world of Medieval European Jewry to life for young readers. Ages 10 and up

x, 164 p. ; 23 cm
In 1097 Troyes, France, fourteen-year-old Elvina reaches out to a shunned family of German Jews, eventually drawing her grandfather, Bible and Talmud scholar Solomon ben Isaac, into helping her new friend's cousin Ephraim, whose memories of the Crusaders' cruelty have driven him mad

2023-06-28