Fig & Vine & Fairytales: A Jewish Book Review of Spinning Silver

Growing up, the story of Rumpelstiltskin was one that I associated with eye rolls more than anything else. 

Sure, it brought a unique twist to the classic rags-to-riches plotline – a miller’s daughter becomes queen, but she only does so after the evil creature Rumpelstiltskin helps her in exchange for her unborn child. Meanwhile, the king of the land insists that the miller’s daughter will be dead by morning if she doesn’t turn endless mountains of straw into glistening gold.   

Yet I always found annoyance because of how easily Rumpelstiltskin let his real name slip, causing his ultimate demise and the daughter’s happily ever after (and come on, what kind of alphabet jumble of a name is Rumpelstiltskin anyway?). So when I found out that the next Jewish book I stumbled upon took inspiration from Rumpelstiltskin’s classic tale, I prepared for a predictable doom.

But trust me, in Spinning Silver by Naomi Novak, the story of Rumpelstiltskin has never been this good.

This reimagining of Rumpelstiltskin transforms the chilling landscape of Russia into a gripping Jewish fantasy. Our heroine Miryem is not the daughter of a miller but a moneylender, becoming ruthless after her family sinks into poverty due to her parents’ trusting nature and the town’s bitter antisemitism. After boasting that she can turn silver into gold, she’s kidnapped by cruel winter fey creatures who rule her world, trapped in an ice kingdom where she is forced to spin silver into gold for a fey overlord. Unlike Rumpelstiltskin and, unfortunately for Miryem, this vicious ruling fey is not the kind of person to ever casually utter his name.    

This young adult tale blends Judaism and high fantasy perfectly, allowing readers to get a glimpse into what life may have been like for Jewish teenagers during Russia’s royal regime. Though the magical elements seem distant from reality, the gems of Jewish culture shine truthfully throughout this book, as seen in the moments like when Miryem convinces the fey overlord that she needs to celebrate Shabbat despite being trapped in the ice kingdom. Surrounded by villagers who treat Jews as creatures just as villainous as the winter fey, Miryem’s journey is a haunting parallel to the life that Jews have endured over centuries in bigoted non-Jewish communities. Yet this novel is not all doom and gloom. Miryem finds community and allyship with two vastly different people – a peasant girl and the future queen of Russia. Though both characters are non-Jewish, they support Miryem wholeheartedly as the three of them come together to save their country.   

This year, I’ve made it my mission to explore Jewish books I’ve never heard of before, immersing myself in new Jewish tales. Spinning Silver was the perfect wrap-up to my time at Fig & Vine, allowing me to reconnect with my inner child who loved curling up with a good magical fantasy. If only she knew how many spellbinding and incredible Jewish books there were to come, I think she would definitely give a second chance to the story of Rumpelstiltskin.