This well written book was not only interesting, but very informative as well. I had never heard of the Haredi sect of Judaism, and now have a good grasp of their ideas. Our group especially liked the ending of this story of a young girl and her conflicts regarding her religion and artistic desires.

The author did a wonderful job of portraying Esther's plight through life combined with beautiful descriptions of the art world she longed to be in.

I just love Esther! She is conflicted more often than not between her love of art and her religious upbringing.
Esther suffers so much throughout the book and I found myself wondering, How much would I be willing to endure/sacrifice for beliefs I was raised with?
Ms. Carners descriptions of the foods, the clothing, the cities, etc. make you feel as if you were there to see it, taste it and touch it yourself.
This is a book I will, undoubtedly read over and over again.

...Jerusalem Maiden is a coming-of-age story set in a time and place that few of us know. Talia Carner has written a moving and utterly captivating novel that I will be thinking about for a long, long time.”

-- Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Girl

"As bold and fragile as its main character, JERUSALEM MAIDEN is at heart a story of revolution. Esther Kaminsky risks everything to ask questions about womanhood and faith that even in the asking constitute sin for an obedient girl. In Esther’s time, risking ‘everything’ was literal. Debut author Talia Carner’s story captivates at every level, heart and mind.”



-- Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean and Second Nature


“Esther Kaminsky is a true heroine -- talented, passionate, opinionated -- and I wanted her to succeed on every page of this novel. But for me the truly marvellous thing about Jerusalem Maiden is how deeply Talia Carner is able to evoke Esther’s faith and the complexity of the choices she faces. A beautiful and timely novel.”

-- Margot Livesey, author of The House on Fortune Street and Eva Moves the Furniture

This is an eye opening book about Esther and her conflict with her upbringing/religous views and her love of art. The ending is a surprise!

An interesting book with insight into the ultra-orthordox side of the Jewish faith. Our club had some good discussion on women's rights as well as whether or not is appropriate to intervene in other cultures/religions traditions. Our group thought this was a good book, however we didn't love it. It's a fast read and generates some good discussion.

This is one of those books that I would find myself thinking about even when I wasn't reading it. The characters were very real and sympathetic. Although I was eager to finish it so I could find out what happened, I didn't want this book to be over.

Everyone in our group loved this book. We enjoyed the look inside another culture and another time. Led to some great discussions.

An excellent book club read. Everyone enjoy the book and it provoke good discussion.

Couldn't put it down, it was captivating !

It was an interesting love story, but slow moving in some parts

This is the second book by Talia Carner we have read. (First was "Hotel Moscow" and Talia kindly Skyped in for it.) Everyone in our group loved the book. Good historical research. Good portrayal of how it was/is for women in the ultra-Orthodox community.