First published 2002
Eliza Naumann surprises everyone when she wins her school spelling bee. The nine-year-old had always been an indifferent student who preferred television to homework while her brother Aaron excelled at his studies. But suddenly teachers notice her and popular girls save her a seat at lunch. Her father Saul, a scholar and cantor, begins tutoring Eliza for higher competitions after she wins the state bee. He shifts his attention from Aaron to his daughter, and Eliza flourishes under his care. She starts seeing language in mystical terms, viewing consonants as steady camels and vowels as flashing fish. Saul encourages her to explore Kabbalistic practices that have always eluded him. Meanwhile, Aaron feels abandoned by his father's sudden devotion to Eliza and begins his own troubled spiritual journey. Their mother Miriam also struggles with the family's new dynamics. She recognizes her younger self in Eliza's newfound focus but feels rejected when her attempts to connect fail. This disappointment drives Miriam toward a secret life that threatens to destroy the family entirely. Each family member searches for meaning and connection as Eliza's unexpected gift sets forces in motion that none of them can control.
Genres: literary-fiction, coming-of-age, family-drama, academic
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
393 pages · Hardcover · Anne Carrière