Tamara Walks on WaterA beautifully written, sensual and evocative book, in the tradition of Amy Tan and Isabelle Allende, rich in magic realism and folklore. 'To understand the end you have to look for the beginning'. As a little girl in Jaffa, Israel, Tamara has an insatiable desire for stories, constantly asking questions of those around her, and demanding explanations. However, no-one ever seems to give Tamara the whole story, so instead she must piece together the various narratives herself in what will become a lifelong attempt to unravel the hidden secrets of her tangled family history, and so bring some meaning to her own life. Raised by her fiercely independent maternal grandmother, Simcha, who jealously guards her from others, in particular her paternal grandmother, Rashella, Tamara's love of stories develops into a voracious appetite for life itself. An impulsive, passionate seeker of knowledge in all its forms, nothing prepares her for the thrilling intensity and the danger of falling deeply, madly in love for the first time |
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alleys Arab arms asked Avigdor Ben-Ari baby beard beautiful belly Ben-Zion the Second blood body borscht bread breasts burning challah chest Christodolos church citrus citrus groves clothes colour cooking dark death despite door dress ears eyes face father feet fell fingers Fishke Fishke's flame girl Grandma Abulafia grandmother Simcha grandmother's hair hands head heard heart hyenas Jaffa Jerusalem Jewish Jews Jordan River kissed knew later Latifa legs lips looked monk morning mother mouth Nechama never night nose once painted photograph pile pogrom Rashella Abulafia returned Russian screamed secret shouts silence smell smile soft soup spread Stars of David stood story stuck Tamara tarbush tears Tel Aviv tell Theotokos thin tiny told tongue took tried voice waiting walked wanted waves wedding whispered Widow Ziso woman women wooden words Yehuda Yosef Yousuf Zerach Levin