Writing the Wayward Wife is a study of rabbinic interpretations of sotah, the law concerning the woman suspected of adultery (Numbers 5:11-31). The focus of the book is on interpretations of sotah in tannaitic and amoraic texts: the Mishnah, Tosefta, Midrash Halakhah, Midrash Aggadah, and the Palestinian and Babylonian Talmuds. The body of the work is in-depth analysis of the legal and ritual proceedings. Jewish Greek interpretations (Josephus, Philo, and LXX) also are addressed, along with the Protevangelium of James, and fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls and Cairo Geniza. Finally, the disappearance of the ritual is discussed, with implications for the development of rabbinic authority. In previous secondary literature, the law of sotah has been understood as either proto-feminist or misogynist. This book argues that neither of these are appropriate paradigms. Rather, this book identifies the emergence of two major interpretive themes: the emphasis on legal procedures, and the condemnation of adultery.

Not to be outdone by her sisters' marriage-producing scandals, quiet and withdrawn Madison Banks quickly finds herself walking down the aisle to a man who has secretly loved her for years. Her groom, however, has no idea how to show his new bride that he truly loves her and following a bungled wedding night, finds himself in a position to either win his wife once and for all or lose her forever. Can he prove himself worthy of her? Will she accept his love? Or will jealousy and past insecurities tear the pair apart?

Sheikh Khalil al Hasim is more than happy to escort feisty Layla Addison back to his desert kingdom and hand her over to her betrothed. But he's almost as horrified as she is by the lecherous man she's being forced to marry! With steely determination, Khalil demands she become his bride instead! Layla's powerless to resist his wicked good looks, but he's arrogant and overbearing. Has this rebellious bride just jumped from the frying pan into the fire?

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR • A “furious and addictive new novel” (The New York Times) about mothers and daughters, and one woman's midlife reckoning as she flees her suburban life. “Exhilarating ... reads like a burning fever dream. A virtuosic, singular and very funny portrait of a woman seeking sanity and purpose in a world gone mad.” —The New York Times Book Review Samantha Raymond's life has begun to come apart: her mother is ill, her teenage daughter is increasingly remote, and at fifty-two she finds herself staring into "the Mids"—that hour of supreme wakefulness between three and four in the morning in which women of a certain age suddenly find themselves contemplating motherhood, mortality, and, in this case, the state of our unraveling nation. When she falls in love with a beautiful, decrepit house in a hardscrabble neighborhood in Syracuse, she buys it on a whim and flees her suburban life—and her family—as she grapples with how to be a wife, a mother, and a daughter, in a country that is coming apart at the seams. Dana Spiotta's Wayward is a stunning novel about aging, about the female body, and about female complexity in contemporary America. Probing and provocative, brainy and sensual, it is a testament to our weird times, to reforms and resistance and utopian wishes, and to the beauty of ruins.

**Though set in a historical setting, this book contains BDSM themes.** When Claudia Rose Stafford made her debut in London, she was wealthy, headstrong, and beautiful. She was also spoiled, arrogant and ill-mannered. Without her father's presence, Claudia flaunted her disdain for rules. She defied the conventions of high society and didn't care if there were scandalous whispers because of her behavior. All that changed when her father returned from abroad with the announcement of her impending marriage. Lord Nathaniel Tarrington is the Earl of Brighton. He is also a member of a clandestine sect comprised of some of the most powerful and wealthy families in Europe. The very existence of their Order is cloaked in secrecy, and their activities carefully guarded. When the time comes for him to wed, his choice of a bride has life-altering consequences for Claudia Stafford. The Earl has demanding expectations for his wife, ones that include complete submission, and the understanding that her place is at his feet or in his bed, and never on his arm. Once Claudia weds Nathaniel, her life is not her own. Gone are the days of dancing and champagne. Harsh training and the expectation of immediate and utter obedience becomes the norm. Defiance brings punishment, but Claudia is unwavering, and must battle those who would have her be meek. Her fiery spirit rebels in the face of Nathaniel's rigid instruction, but the once willful and reckless woman struggles to fight her husband's sadistic demands. A fierce war begins between them; one fought for pride and dignity; that may leave both of their hearts in tatters. Will love ever stand a chance as Lord Nathaniel Tarrington strives to tame his wayward wife?

Explore new theoretical tools and lines of analysis of rabbinic stories Rabbinic literature includes hundreds of stories and brief narrative traditions. These narrative traditions often take the form of biographical anecdotes that recount a deed or event in the life of a rabbi. Modern scholars consider these narratives as didactic fictions—stories used to teach lessons, promote rabbinic values, and grapple with the tensions and conflicts of rabbinic life. Using methods drawn from literary and cultural theory, including feminist, structuralist, Marxist, and psychoanalytic methods, contributors analyze narratives from the Babylonian Talmud, midrash, Mishnah, and other rabbinic compilations to shed light on their meanings, functions, and narrative art. Contributors include Julia Watts Belser, Beth Berkowitz, Dov Kahane, Jane L. Kanarek, Tzvi Novick, James Adam Redfield, Jay Rovner, Jeffrey L. Rubenstein, Zvi Septimus, Dov Weiss, and Barry Scott Wimpfheimer.