Maggie Anton was born Margaret Antonofsky in Los Angeles, California. Raised in a secular, socialist household, she reached adulthood with little knowledge of her Jewish religion. All that changed when David Parkhurst, who was to become her husband, entered her life, and they both discovered Judaism as adults. In the early 1990's, Anton began studying Talmud in a class for women taught by Rachel Adler, now a professor at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. She became intrigued with the idea that Rashi, one of the greatest Jewish scholars ever, had no sons, only three daughters. Slowly but surely, she began to research the family and the time in which they lived. Legend has it that Rashi's daughters were learned in a time when women were traditionally forbidden to study the sacred texts. These forgotten women seemed ripe for rediscovery, and the idea of a book about them was born.
Praise for Rav Hisda's Daughter: Book I
"A lushly detailed look into a fascinatingly unknown time and
culture--a tale of Talmud, sorcery, and a most engaging
heroine!"--Diana Gabaldon, author of the bestselling
Outlander series [Anton's] best book to date. Using her
extensive knowledge of the Talmud and other historical Jewish
writings, she immersed herself in the tractates to uncover a
marvelous heroine for this historical novel... Complex discussions
of Jewish law and tradition as well as detailed description of the
culture and customs of the times enhance truly wonderful
storytelling. VERDICT This absorbing novel should be on everyone's
historical fiction reading list.--Library Journal (starred review)
"Fascinating reading await those who dive into the vividly depicted
world of Babylonian Jewry ... Anton succeeds brilliantly in drawing
us into the formative period leading up to the Talmud ... what we
have is the work of a master craftswoman set upon repairing a major
gap in Jewish literature --Philadelphia Jewish Voice"Provides a
wealth of historical detail about Jewish life in Babylon and Israel
in the 3rd century CE. It depicts the daily life and coming of age
of a prominent rabbi's daughter rather than propelling its reader
through a traditional arc of action with a crisis and resolution.
Its interest lies in its portrayal of the sorcery, incantations,
and women's customs in this exotic, faraway period of time and
place, sometimes against the backdrop of war."--Historical Novel
Society
Praise for the Rashi's Daughters trilogy
"Anton delivers a tour de force . . . [Readers] will fly through
the pages and come away wishing for more."--Library Journal
(starred review)
"A compelling combination of drama, suspense, and romance."--Lilith
magazine
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