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DAUGHTERS OF SARAH

Anthology of Jewish Women Writing in French

"This book doesn't just fill a niche; it opens up a new perspective on the relations among Jewishness, gender, and modernity in Europe. It will certainly spark new and creative thinking about these subjects by anyone wise or lucky enough to dip into its contents."
—Jonathan Boyarin
Robert M. Beren Distinguished Professor of Modern Jewish Studies, University of Kansas

"Daughters of Sarah is a treasure trove. Editors Cottenet-Hage and Sartori have brought together translations of short pieces by French Jewish women authors—some famous, others relatively unknown to American readers. Read these to enlarge your knowledge of French literature; read them to learn more about the modern French Jewish community; read them for pure pleasure."
—Claire G. Moses
Editorial Director, Feminist Studies

“Throughout the book, in both the editorial material and the writing, the question “What is a Jewish writer?” is frequently posed. The editors define the Jewish writer in pragmatic terms: she writes within and about a Jewish community, creates Jewish characters, and examines Jewish destiny and heritage. A fascinating, welcome addition to modern Jewish literary studies. Summing up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers.”
—CHOICE

“It is always a special treat for a reader to find a book that leaves one wanting more. Most of the pieces in this book make one hungry to read more of the works of these authors. Many of the writers are still unknown in this country. What a pity!”
—Multicultural Review

“English isn’t the only language Jewish writers ply their trade in. Daughters of Sarah: Anthology of Jewish Women Writing In French is a collection of essays and stories from French Jewish women from the past two hundred plus years. The writings reflect on many subjects, not just those regarding France or Jewish culture. Daughters of Sarah is a must for anyone who wants a different sampling of Jewish writers in the world.”
—Midwest Book Review  (September 2008)

“Daughters of Sarah broadens the scope of mainstream French literary studies. The editors, Eva Martin Sartori and Madeleine Cottenet-Hage, delve into an eclectic collection of material, some of which they translate into English for the first time. Excerpts from essays, letters, plays, novels, poetry, autobiographies and philosophical works from the nineteenth century to the present include some familiar names as Hélène Cixous and Irène Nemirovsky.
      Preceded by a concise and useful introduction on the history of Jews (and Jewish women) in France, this volume examines the preoccupation with Emancipation (the granting of full citizenship rights to Jews in the eighteenth century), which is tightly and often uneasily connected to assimilation; the specific contours of French anti-semitism; the profound impact of the Holocaust for thousands of Jews deported under the Vichy government; and the burden of French colonialism in Algeria, to give just a few examples. ”
—Yaële Azagury, Lilith  (Fall 2008)