Discussion questions for The First Mrs. Rothschild by Sara Aharoni

1. What do you think the modern Rothschild family thinks about this fictionalized account of their ancestors?
2. The Jewish Book Council reviewer describes the language as sometimes “over­wrought”.  Do you agree?
3. The Historical Novel Society writes that Gutelah was “a woman of remarkable character” while the Jewish Book Council writes that she “con­veys an air of pas­siv­i­ty”.  Which do you agree with more?  Are they mutually exclusive?
4. What did you think about Meir?
5. Author Abraham B. Yehoshua,  after noting Aharoni’s “painstaking historical research” notes that, “Because Rothschild is a myth…in European consciousness, [the way that] this lovely story transforms the myth into something alive and human is particularly meaningful.”  Do you agree?  (quoted by the Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature)
6. The original Hebrew title of the book is “Mrs. Rothschild’s Love”.  The title of the Spanish translation is “The Love of Mrs. Rothschild” (El amor de la señora Rothschild).  Why do you think the title of the English translation is different?  Which do you think is more accurate?
7. Why do you think Aharoni chose to write this book as journal entries rather than just as a first-person narrative?  Did that add or detract from your experience of the story?

Want to share your own questions with us?