Babylon

Michelle Cameron’s new book Babylon was the perfect read for a long Tisha b’Av afternoon, though I’m sure I would have enjoyed it even if I had been reading it on the beach. It’s the multigenerational story of the first Jewish exile, a time marked by suffering of so many kinds, made real in this story by the relatable and well-developed characters with their own flaws, wishes and dreams.

The story begins with three young people exiled from Jerusalem: Sarah, her cousin Reuven, and Seraf, a young musician they meet along the long journey – on foot, in chains – from Jerusalem to Babylon. Beautiful Sarah is selected to be regularly raped by the captain of the army, taking her virginity, her innocence, and her hopes at a happy and simple married life.

When Reuven is granted a poor plot of land outside the main city to farm, Sarah tries to go with him, but is instead enslaved as a servant in the palace. An accomplished musician, Seraf is also taken for work in the palace, and is horrified to learn he will be castrated, for all the men serving in the castle are eunichs.

Sarah and Serah have one night of passion before his unwanted procedure, and she conceives. As a pregnant slave, she could be killed. Instead, on a trip to visit Reuven for a festival, her own Jewish compatriots try to stone her for harlotry. Reuven takes pity on her and marries her, ending her life as a
slave in the palace, and setting the stage for many twists and tragedies to come

The story continues through four generations, as Sarah’s children and grandchildren struggle with exile, endure hunger and slavery, in some cases marry idolators, and pray for return to a land they have only dreamed of, to service of the one G-d in a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem.

As a reader, I appreciated how this multi-generational story probed the long-term consequences of decisions which, in the moment, might seem unimportant. As individual characters’ lives reach their natural ends, their loved ones do their best to go on. Children try to carry on their parents’ legacy without always fully understanding it. Parents’ mistakes are repeated by their children, who seem helpless to avoid the same pitfalls.

As the generations unfold, the far-off image of Jerusalem becomes an ideal that would be hard for any place to meet. The first generation to return face many challenges to reclaim and secure the land, to reinstate lost traditions, and to address moral questions about the non-Judeans who live there –
including, in many cases, their wives.

In this story, the cruelty of royalty and the suffering of slaves are juxtaposed with poor Jews trying to earn their daily bread, zealous and angry at their fellow Jews who lead seemingly more comfortable lives. The leaders and rabbis Jews have always needed to keep our knowledge and inspire also play their pivotal role.

The strength of Babylon is its characters, who face unspeakable horrors and impossible choices, struggle to do the honorable thing and often make tragic but seemingly unavoidable mistakes. By exploring the ancient history of the Jewish people, this book taught me something about what our ancestors suffered, but also who we have always been and who we still are.

Find It: Goodreads | Bookshop | Amazon

The reviewer received a free arc of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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