Meet Me at the WellMeet Me at the Well

"The inimitable Jane Yolen has teamed up with Barbara Diamond Goldin (a prolific author in her own right) to retell Bible stories from the point of view of twelve women (in nine chapters, as some come in pairs). After each story, there is a reflection "imagine" piece written from the voice of each woman (written by Barbara) and a poem about her (written by Jane). Intermixed with the main text are sidebars called "midrash" in the singular or "midrashim" in the plural. These pose questions about each Bible story, provide more information about traditions, and include scholars' and writers' interpretations. These type of sidebars are traditional in Judiaca, defined as "an ancient commentary on part of the Hebrew scriptures, attached to the biblical text." The book's introduction explains that the stories are all from the "Hebrew Bible," sometimes called the "Old Testament" in communities outside of Judaism. While the book definitely comes from a Jewish standpoint, the book will have religious crossover appeal because these stories are part of many traditions and the commentary is nondenominational"--