This site was created as a part of the fifth annual Book Day celebration at Horace Mann.

Book Description
This year's selection, Davita's Harp, revolves around the experiences of a young girl growing up in New York during the 1930's and 40's. Her father is a non-practicing Christian, her mother a non-practicing Jew. Her parents have embraced Communism and have raised young Davita to work for a wholly integrated international community. Even at a young age, however, Davita realizes that there is disharmony and discord all around her, and that her parent's ideals are buckling under the harsh realities of a world exploding into war. Much of the novel's action centers around the Spanish Civil War, as her father is sent to Spain to cover the war for his newspaper. While there, he disappears and is presumed dead. When it is discovered that he was killed during an act of heroism, Davita's world begins to unravel and the foundation of ideals on which she has been raised are not enough to sustain her. She begins exploring both her Christian and her Jewish identity in an attempt to find a new community to which she can belong.

Book Day Schedule for Thursday, March 11th

Book Day Session Descriptions

Hot Links

Journalism in America: Left vs. Right Wing
Gender Issues in the Jewish Orthodox Community
Fascism and Marxism
Styles and Methods of Warfare
Marxism
Images of New York
Marxism
Judaica
Fascism
About Chaim Potok, the Author of Davita's Harp