Raising Sparks

Author/Guide: Ariel Kahn

Why a Booktrail?

2000s: A story of Israel, Kabbalah and human strength

ISBN: 978-1910422410
Genre: Fiction

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What you need to know before your trail

Malka grows up in the Old City of Jerusalem in the confines of the Ultra-orthodox Jewish community. Meandering through the narrow streets she finds herself at the door of one of the city’s most renowned and reclusive mystics and discovers her father’s top rabbinical student, Russian immigrant Moshe studying forbidden Kabbalistic texts. She has a disturbing vision of a tree of prayers growing up inside the house, and the prayers all seem to be talking to her.

Once in a millennia, a kabbalist is born with this ability. It turns out that Malka is one of them.

Travel Guide

Israel

Jerusalem to Jaffa to Safed

The Sabbatto family live in Jerusalem and they are, like many others, a deeply religious family,following the rules and believes of their Orthodox faith.

The father of the household is especially religious and includes Malka his daughter in his teachings and readings even though normally fathers do not usually include female members of the family in their daily religious duties. Malka then finds out about a secret and her whole world changes for ever.

She discovers and starts to explore the faith of Kabbalah – (yes, that of the stringy red band spotted on many celebrities) but it’s this path of spiritually that Malka starts to explore for deeper reasons than most.

From Jerusalem to Jaffa, this is an exploration of a culture, religion and way of life where you ultimately have to decide your own path

Raising Sparks

Booktrailer Review

Susan: @thebooktrailer

This is unlike any book I’ve ever read to be honest. It seems so raw and insightful and really immerses you into the ways and culture of the characters within.

Don’t let the themes of religion and Kabbalah put you off as this is much more than that. It follows the story of Malka, a girl in a man’s world, and one who wants to break from her family’s religious ways and to find her own path in life. For a woman in a highly religious country this is dangerous on so many levels.

As we follow Malka and see how she fights with her thoughts, explores them and explores those of others, it’s almost as if you as the reader goes on some kind of spiritual journey with her. And that is no bad thing. I know very little about religion and nothing at all about Kabbalah apart from what the celebrities in the news would have us believe. This changed my way of thinking and of understanding in many ways. This is a heartfelt read and a world I would never have explore or experienced without going on this journey with Malka.

The prose is beautiful and that cover exquisite. A good book for bookclubs as there is a lot to think about, look up, discuss that you could be there for quite some time. What about having a discussion group with the food of that region too? Now that would be the entire experience in one evening. But it won’t be one evening as this book will linger long after the chatter has gone quiet.