My Guardian Angel

My Guardian Angel
Sylvie Weil
Scholastic, Inc
ISBN: 0-439-57682-2
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Reviewed by Dr. Tami Brady

I absolutely love the stories about Rashi and his girls. I find them both fascinating and inspiring. Rashi was one of the most famous rabbis and Jewish scholars of any age. He lived in France around the time of the first crusade. Unfortunately, Rashi never sired any sons to pass on his scholarly gifts. He did however have daughters. Unprecedented in his efforts, Rashi taught his daughters (and later his grandchildren) to read and write. A few even defiantly studied the torah at a time when the mere thought of this was completely unheard of.
My Guardian Angel is the story of Elvina, the grand daughter of Rashi. She too learns to read and write. She also yearns to become a writer. The book serves as a diary of sorts as the young girl as she tries to find her place in a world that is hateful towards Jews, where traditional remedies are seen as evidence of evil magic, and where woman are supposed to focus all their energies on finding a man.
I think this story will bring understanding, pride, and inspiration to a whole new generation of young women. About the only critique I could make about this book would be that I found the change of voice from Elvina to her guardian angel just a little distracting. I would have preferred that the book keep in first person for the entire story.