James Carroll’s highly acclaimed, arduously researched historical novel The Cloister is the challenging selection for Temple Israel’s next book club meeting. The story intertwines the timeless love story of the discredited monk and great scholar Peter Abelard, and his intellectual equal Heloise with Father Richard Kavanaugh and his chance encounter in New York City’s Cloisters with a lovely and intriguing museum guide Rachel Vedette - a Holocaust survivor. 

The effect of this ancient Abelard-Heloise story is its relevance to how the encounter between Christianity and Judaism many centuries ago continues to reverberate to devastating effect in more recent times. 

From Kirkus Reviews, “With his familiar deftness and depth, James Carroll weaves a profound and compelling novel from diverse but overlapping narrative strands. From the conversations between a Catholic priest and a French Jewish woman in mid 20th century New York to the brutality of Nazi-occupied Paris to the great medieval love story of Abelard and Heloise, The Cloister illuminates life’s most vital questions and proposes inspiring, radical and timely answers.” 

Copies of The Cloister may be found in the public and Jewish Libraries, in book stores and on-line for less than $20. Everyone is welcome to attend book club discussion, whether or not you have read the book. For additional information contact Linda Levy (704-366-6362 or levyollie@aol.com).