New Books Network Esther Goldenberg, "Song of the Bluebird" (Row House, 2026)
Mar 24, 2026
Esther Goldenberg, an author and educator who reimagines biblical stories from women’s perspectives, discusses Song of the Bluebird, the third book in her Desert Songs trilogy. The conversation covers why Serrah (Blue) became the protagonist, Blue’s agelessness and role across generations, reclaiming erased women’s stories, and creative choices about family, trauma, and life in Egypt and the desert.
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Rabbi Yochanan Scene Signals Timelessness
- Placing Blue in Rabbi Yochanan's first-century study hall signals her strange relationship with time and connects ancient memory to later interpretive traditions.
- Goldenberg used an existing Midrash about Sarah appearing and then added her own twist to show Blue's agelessness.
The Bible's Male Frame Erases Women's Stories
- Goldenberg emphasizes that the Torah is primarily written from men's perspectives, which leaves women's experiences unrecorded.
- Blue's frustration when she reads the five books of Moses highlights how much women's lives are omitted from the canonical text.
Blue Realizes Her Mission During A Public Torah Reading
- Blue discovers her purpose on the fifth day when she hears a public Torah reading of the Reed Sea that doesn't match her memory.
- That mismatch gives her the conviction to write down women's stories and the missing details she witnessed.
