Deborah (Virago modern classics) - Softcover

Ḳreyṭman, Ester

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0860683257 ISBN 13: 9780860683254

Publisher: Virago, 1983

Synopsis

The lost world of early 20th century Jewish life in Eastern Europe-of lively shtetls and ghetto streets-is known by many through the books of I. B. and I. J. Singer. But few know the Singers had a sister who was also a gifted writer and who saw this same world through a woman's eyes. Originally published in Yiddish in 1936, Esther Kreitman's vivid and poignant autobiographical novel follows the life of Deborah, a rabbi's daughter, from the ages of 14 to 18. Because she is a girl, Deborah is condemned to household chores, barred from the books she yearns for and destined for an arranged marriage. I. B. Singer has said that his sister Esther and her thwarted hunger for learning and experience inspired his story Yentl.

Wrtten with grace and passion, Deborah is a rare gem by a writer undervalued in her own time and too long forgotten in ours.

About this title

About the Author:

Esther Kreitman (1891-1954) was born in Bilgoray, Poland, and is the sister of renowned Yiddish writers Israel Joshua and Isaac Bashevis Singer. Raised in Warsaw and married in Antwerp, Kreitman and her family fled to London at the start of World War I. She is the author of two novels and a collection of short stories.

Language Notes:

Text: English, Yiddish (translation)

About this edition

• Publisher: Virago
• Publication date: 1983
• ISBN 10: 0860683257
• ISBN 13: 9780860683254
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 366