In this historical fantasy laced with Jewish lore, 12-year-old Ziva is determined to find a cure for her beloved and brilliant twin brother Pesah's leprosy. After he has a vision of the Angel of Death, she decides they must leave home and go in search of a cure. Joined by a half-sheyd (demon) teenager, they survive various challenges and threats but eventually Ziva finds herself bargaining with the Angel of Death. Only one sibling is allowed to survive, and they both desperately want to sacrifice themselves for the other. The ending is poignant, but the engaging characters, tenderly evoked emotions, and non-stop action make this a memorable and ultimately uplifting story for older readers.
The story is set in medieval times in a fictional Jewish Khazar empire. The afterword references the Kuzari (a text written by Rabbi Yehuda Halevi as a conversation about Judaism between a rabbi and to the King of the Khzars).
Ziva is a bat mitzvah and wants to be a judge like Deborah. The family celebrates Jewish holidays and attends synagogue.
On their journey to Luz, a Talmudic legendary city that the Angel of Death cannot enter, Ziva meets Jewish mythical creatures including sheydim (demons).
Jewish values such as ometz lev (strength of the heart), tikkun olam (repairing the world), tzedek (righteousness), and tzedakah (charity) are central to the story.
There are graphic details of leprosy in this book, including gangrene and Ziva’s amputation of her brother Pesah’s fingers as the disease progresses. Pesah feels no pain, and Ziva is both brave and efficient. There is a violent interaction with robbers. Death is a prominent theme, and the book ends with the death of a main character.
What the Book is About
In this historical fantasy laced with Jewish lore, 12-year-old Ziva is determined to find a cure for her beloved and brilliant twin brother Pesah's leprosy. After he has a vision of the Angel of Death, she decides they must leave home and go in search of a cure. Joined by a half-sheyd (demon) teenager, they survive various challenges and threats but eventually Ziva finds herself bargaining with the Angel of Death. Only one sibling is allowed to survive, and they both desperately want to sacrifice themselves for the other. The ending is poignant, but the engaging characters, tenderly evoked emotions, and non-stop action make this a memorable and ultimately uplifting story for older readers.
Jewish Content & Values
The story is set in medieval times in a fictional Jewish Khazar empire. The afterword references the Kuzari (a text written by Rabbi Yehuda Halevi as a conversation about Judaism between a rabbi and to the King of the Khzars).
Ziva is a bat mitzvah and wants to be a judge like Deborah. The family celebrates Jewish holidays and attends synagogue.
On their journey to Luz, a Talmudic legendary city that the Angel of Death cannot enter, Ziva meets Jewish mythical creatures including sheydim (demons).
Jewish values such as ometz lev (strength of the heart), tikkun olam (repairing the world), tzedek (righteousness), and tzedakah (charity) are central to the story.
Content Advisory
There are graphic details of leprosy in this book, including gangrene and Ziva’s amputation of her brother Pesah’s fingers as the disease progresses. Pesah feels no pain, and Ziva is both brave and efficient. There is a violent interaction with robbers. Death is a prominent theme, and the book ends with the death of a main character.
