Sotah by Naomi Ragen

Sotah introduces a family with three daughters approaching the age of marriage: Devorah, Dina and Chaya Leah. In the strict orthodoxy of their world, a sotah is a wife suspected of infidelity who can be tried by ordeal to prove she is guiltless. Which sister could be capable of such a thought, let alone the act? Into the pious world of strict chaperoning, modest clothing, where a married woman’s hair must never be seen by a man other than her husband - insinuates this serpent suggestion of evil. Ragen’s powerful tale of three sisters spins endless questions: Which one? Could she? Did she? What changes could come into this orderly world because of unthinking actions?

Set against the backdrop of Jerusalem’s ancient rituals, this is a contemporary story of sacred and profane love, and a young woman’s struggle to reconcile tradition with freedom. Ninety-three weeks on the best-seller list.

NAOMI RAGEN is the author of four international best-sellers: Jephte’s Daughter, Sotah, The Sacrifice of Tamar, and The Ghost of Hannah Mendes. Born in New York, she attended Brooklyn College and received an MA in English from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. For the last thirty years, she has made her home in Jerusalem. The translation of her books into Hebrew in 1995 has made her one of Israel’s best-loved authors. An outspoken advocate for gender equality and human rights, she is a columnist for The Jerusalem Post. Ragen's first play, Women’s Quorum, was commissioned by Habima, Israel’s National Theater.

Paperback
492 pp
8½"x5½"
ISBN: 1-902881-51-6