BKMT READING GUIDES
Drawing in the Dust
by Zoe Klein
Published: 2009-07-07
Hardcover : 368 pages
Hardcover : 368 pages
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5 clubs reading this now
3 members have read this book
5 clubs reading this now
3 members have read this book
Brilliant archaeologist Page Brookstone is convinced bones speak, yet none of the ancient remnants she has unearthed during her twelve years of toiling at Israel's storied battlegrounds of Megiddo has delivered the life-altering message she so craves. Which is why the story of Ibrahim and ...
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Introduction
Brilliant archaeologist Page Brookstone is convinced bones speak, yet none of the ancient remnants she has unearthed during her twelve years of toiling at Israel's storied battlegrounds of Megiddo has delivered the life-altering message she so craves. Which is why the story of Ibrahim and Aisha Barakat, a young Arab couple who implore Page to excavate the grounds beneath their house in Anatot, instantly intrigues her.The Barakats claim the ghosts of two lovers haunt their home, overwhelming everyone who enters with love and desire. Ignoring the scorn of her peers, Page investigates the site, where she is seduced by an undeniable force. Once Ibrahim presents Page with hard evidence of a cistern beneath his living room, she has no choice but to uncover the secret of the spirits.It is not long before Page makes miraculous discoveries-the bones of the deeply troubled prophet Jeremiah locked in an eternal embrace with a mysterious woman named Anatiya. Buried with the entwined skeletons is a collection of Anatiya's scrolls, whose mystical words challenge centuries-old interpretations of the prophet's story and create a worldwide fervor that threatens to silence the truth about the lovers forever.Caught in a forbidden romance of her own, and under constant siege from religious zealots and ruthless critics, Page risks her life and professional reputation to deliver Anatiya's passionate message to the world. In doing so, she discovers that to preserve her future in the land of the living, she must shake off the dust of the dead and let go of her own painful past. As poignant and thought-provoking as the beloved bestsellers The Red Tent and People of the Book, Zoë Klein's historically rich debut novel is a lyrical and unexpected journey that will stay with listeners forever.
Excerpt
XIIIRather, let my left hand take my right hand captive than witness one nation enslave and demolish another. Rather, let my heart drag my feet away in chains than witness one ruler flex at the expense of another. Let the flags of the nations be white and blank, and lifted, in the great surrender of humanity… – The Scroll of Anatiya 26:34-36 ...
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Discussion Questions
Talking Points and Reading Guide for Drawing in the Dust• Israel
Imagine Israel is a character in the book. How would you describe her character? The author intended to create a very positive picture of Israel, while making sure the reader didn’t feel there was an ‘agenda’ to the book. What are the devices the author used to try to achieve this? Did the author succeed at this? Is the Israel portrayed in the book anything like your own experience of Israel?
• Fanaticism
Who are the bad guys in this book? Who are the good guys? What is the book trying to say about fanaticism and fundamentalism in every religion?
• Modern Prophets
The author creates an ancient prophetess named Anatiya. How authentic is her voice to you? Do you think that there are prophets in our midst today? If Anatiya had been a real prophet, do you think our world would be any different? If you could ‘invent’ a prophet, what would he/she be like?
• Interfaith
A short blog on the Jewish Outreach Institute about Drawing in the Dust asks the question: why there are so many books being written and released with character plots featuring interfaith couples? Why did the author, a rabbi, choose to make the protagonist Catholic?
Reading Guide
1. The Barakats believe the ground beneath their house is haunted and claim to have seen spirits in their home. How does their faith contribute to this belief? Do you think that Page begins believing in ghosts and the paranormal as the book progresses? Who are the skeptics and who are the cynics of the novel?
2. Discuss the various aspects of faith as they relate to the novel. Do not limit yourself to strictly religious faith, but also discuss everyday matters of faith, i.e. the hope and belief that things will always work out for the best, etc.
3. What parts of the book made you reflect upon your own feelings and beliefs about religion? How do you feel about the religious restrictions placed on Page and Mortichai's relationship? What was your reaction to the destruction of the archaeological finds in the name of religion?
4. Water makes several appearances in the novel, from the cistern below the Barakats' home, to baths, to ritual cleansing. What is the symbolism of water throughout the book as it relates to worship and faith?
5. The author is a congregational rabbi, a position that has been traditionally held by men. How are traditional gender roles subverted in this story? What is Klein saying by giving Anatiya as much agency as she does? How would the story have been different if Jeremiah had written the scrolls instead?
6. The passages from the scrolls which appear at the beginning of each chapter tell of the love story between Jeremiah and Anatiya. How do those passages mirror what happens to the characters in each of those chapters?
7. Early in the book Page's friend points out the difference between a broken heart and a depressed heart. How would you describe the status of Page's heart at the beginning of the novel? Where is it at the end? How does her relationship with Mortichai change it?
8. Page is accused of being able to string together complex concepts, but of being unable to understand simple things such as love. How true do you think this is and why? How does her emotional growth progress throughout the novel?
9. The conventional definition of archaeology is the scientific study of historic or prehistoric people and their cultures. Beyond Page's search into the history of Jeremiah, what else is she searching for in her past as it relates to her family and relationships? What does she discover that she wasn't searching for?
10. Page has chosen a career that isolates her and places her within a small contained group of people. What is she avoiding? Do you see symbolism in her choice of a career in archaeology? Part of the process of archaeology is the constant search for things long hidden, things in the past that will help us better understand the present. What are the various characters searching for? Norris? Page? Itai? The Barakats? Who is more successful in finding what they seek, and why?
Weblinks
Notes From the Author to the Bookclub
A note from author Zoe Klein: Dear Reader, People often ask me whether I consider myself a novelist or a rabbi first. Writing and serving my congregation as a rabbi are not too different to me. In the end, they are both about crafting stories, and helping people discover their grand themes and subtler metaphors. As a rabbi I move through the scattered sheaves and sacred moments of people's lives, searching for the redemptive golden thread that gives everything meaning and brings it all together. The protagonist of DRAWING IN THE DUST , Page Brookstone, digs through scattered shards, bits of broken bone looking for some sense of wholeness. She tunnels through tombs, looking for something alive. In discovering the remains of the prophet Jeremiah with his arms around a hitherto unknown prophetess, Page risks her reputation and her life to redeem them. Studying the prophets in Seminary, I fell in love with Jeremiah most of all, his terror, his misery, his courage and his hope. I wanted to reach back in time and embrace him. I wanted to give to him the way his words had given to me. I was a student rabbi when I started writing about Jeremiah and Anatiya, and I continued developing their journey together after I became ordained. I identify with Page’s desire to prove that there is more, or die trying, and like her, I also suspect that the answer, the golden thread, might be love. I wrote DRAWING IN THE DUST to take you on a richly researched, mystical and lyrical journey of personal and historical discovery. Please email me at [email protected] to request a book club packet, or to share your thoughts about the book. Abundant blessings, Zoë KleinBook Club Recommendations
Recommended to book clubs by 2 of 2 members.
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