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"I found myself thinking about the story many times after it ended.  When a book haunts a reader , you know you've done an excellent job."    - Writers Digest Judge
 
True Book Addict reviews The Debt of Tamar 

 

"This story cannot simply be categorized as historical fiction.  It is that, but it is also literary fiction at its finest."

 

 
Seize The Moment reviews The Debt of Tamar 

 

"One of the best books ever."

 

 
Just One More Chapter reviews The Debt of Tamar
 
 

 

"It was almost poetic and had me totally mesmerized...The book will stay with you long after  you are finished..."

History Undressed reviews The Debt of Tamar

 

"I had the pleasure of reading Nicole Dweck's debut novel, The Debt of Tamar, and it blew me away."

Miss Book Lovers Gives The Debt of Tamar

 

"A spellbinding read that you will not want to put down. You will see how one person's actions affect the world around them. Like me, you will be hooked and endure a journey of love, heartbreak, and strength...."

 

 
Miss Book Lovers has its SECOND reviewer read and review The Debt of Tamar
 

 

"When my co-blogger Jenifer told me I had to read this book, I knew it would be a good one...she didn't let me down! The Debt of Tamar is an experience. Nicole Dweck pulls the reader in from the first page up until the last word..."

For The Hook of a Book reviews The Debt of Tamar
 

 

"It touched the five senses through words and left me enveloped and engaged, so much so that I couldn't put the book down. I Stayed up all night reading this book until I collapsed crying and emotionally spent from the impact of the story."

Magic Moments Gives The Debt of Tamar

 

"Nicole Dweck is a very competent writer...She writes in poetic prose, elevating the mood of the situation in just a few lines that are so profound in their meaning. ."

 

 
Literary Inklings Gives The Debt of Tamar 

 

"Ambitious and beautifully crafted...There is nothing predictable about The Debt of Tamar..."

 

 

ReadLately.com reviews The Debt of Tamar



"A sweeping saga of a novel...dizzyingly good...magnificently done"

 

 

The Debt of Tamar

 

Posted by Etta from Wierzbnic 

 

 

 

 

Scheherazade, the ancient Persian Queen, could tell a good story. But so can Nicole Dweck. Her debut, historical novel, The Debt of Tamar, is a captivating odyssey for young romantics and dreamers of any age. The Debt of Tamar follows the destiny of two families, the royal family of Suleiman the Magnificent and the aristocratic Nissim family who are secret Jews living in fear of imminent discovery. Both families live under the yoke of a terrible curse that not only affects them but also disturbs a transcendent, cosmic peace. Dweck takes us back to the 16th century Lisbon, when Jose Nissim and Reyna narrowly escape the Inquisition in Portugal to live openly as Jews in Istanbul,a safe haven under the sultanate. Unquestionably, Suleiman saves the lives of the Nissim family.They owe him a debt that must not only be acknowledged but also repaid.

 

The Debt of Tamar, a "langeh mayseh" (a long story) of unrequited love and unshakable faith, is set against the exotic backdrop of the Ottoman Empire, Vichy France, Palestine, modern Turkey and America. The multi-themed plot centers around Tamar, a Jewish daughter of the Nissim dynasty and Murat the son of the Sultan. When their ill-fated love is not consummated, dire consequences befall both families through generations of punishment ,suffering and misfortune. The Debt of Tamar invites us to consider the mystical bonds of love with its eternal power to connect one generation to another as well as the indomitable force of fate. Dweck is a capable, even talented writer who knows how to juggle many of the characters over centuries of time tied to actual historical events. The Debt of Tamar is an intriguing tale that resonates with the sensual echoes of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam evenly tempered with the reality of a more prosaic modern age. At the end of it all we ask: What happens when a nice Muslim boy falls in love with a nice Jewish girl who vanishes? Oiy such tsuris!
Meredith Sue Willis Books For Readers 

 

"...The love story is moving, but perhaps the understated theme of Jews and Muslims intertwined in their commonalities is what really powers this surprising debut novel."

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