Davita's Harp
Potok, ChaimA novel about a girl who is influenced by both Hasidic Jews and Christians in her US upbringing.
Comments from Groups
An interesting insight into the Jewish faith, with thoughtful commentary on politics and religion. Tauranga 015 Loved the book - all had very positive comments about it. Waikanae 001 Discussion was lively. Some found the development of the story slow, but readable. All were pleased they had read it. Wellington 117 A thought provoking story. A bit long winded, but good character development, and interesting subject matter. Taupo 006 Great discussion and good questions, we could have spent a lot longer discussing them. Most enjoyed it, but some found the darker side of it disturbing. Takaka 001 We very much enjoyed this book, beautifully paced and a loving portrayal of a psychological crisis in a young girl's life. We had an enthusiastic discussion re characterisations and 'good vs evil' in peoples' natures, and how 'Capitalism and compassion are incompatible'. Hamilton 019 Great discussion had about how most religions expect the same moral behaviour; and how many religions are judged by the behaviour of their adherants. Watar 001
Pages
438
438
Year
1985
1985
Reviews
11-03-2024
Everyone enjoyed this book, and the discussion was very interesting.
11-03-2024
Lively discussion. We were surprised there were no questions about the response to the father's death, or education/prize giving.
11-03-2024
Mixed response. Several were dissatisfied with the point of view of narration, finding it unconvincing: small child conveying complex ideas on one hand, but asking over simple questions on the other eg. 'What is war'. Others ( including me) saw it as a critique of the pursuit of ideologies, to the extreme. In the end Davita begins to seek her own way. But it gave rise to vigorous discussion.