Elizabeth Graver’s novel Kantika (“song” in Ladino) was inspired by the life story of her maternal grandmother Rebecca Cohen, daughter of the Sephardic elite of early twentieth-century Istanbul, whose shapeshifting journey took her to Cuba, Spain and New York. New York Times reviewer Ayten Tartici writes, “In Graver’s vision, migration is never simply a one-way street. Kantika is a meticulous endeavor to preserve the memories of a family, an elegy and a celebration both.”

Come talk about Kantika with Elizabeth and her mother, Suzanne Graver, who leads CBI’s book club and whose childhood is part of this story. Copies of Kantika are available at the Williams College Bookstore, as well as at Bookstore.org, Amazon, and in local libraries. Kantika is also available as a wonderfully narrated audiobook. To view the Book Club Kit for Kantika, please click here.

This event is free and open to the public. All are welcome to join the author in-person at Congregation Beth Israel or participate online via Zoom.

☆ To join us IN-PERSON, please click on the blue “Going” button on this page to RSVP.
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☆ To join us ONLINE, please click here to register via Zoom.