The Pomegranate

I wouldn't have picked up The Pomegranate if it wasn't for 2023 Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge, one of the main reasons I wanted to participate so much. Read what you wouldn't automatically be reaching for. Challenge yourself! Historical fiction, while something I enjoy, often seems daunting because novels of the genre run longer on average and feature dialects that can be hard to read. The near 700 page-count on this one almost prevented me from choosing it from the beginning. However, the fruit featured on both the cover and in the title has some sentimental ties, changing my mind.

Batsheva, or Vashi, or Elizabeth, or Bess (the protagonist of many names) provides the primary lense through which the reader views this 12th century tale. Set against the backdrop of the crusades, the main story happens mostly adjacent to that instead of being the main focus. Strong-willed with a well-rounded education, Batsheva is styled to have quite a bit more agency than most women of her time. Which makes my biggest issue with this novel stand out in even greater contrast: How little agency she seems to have in the matters of her own heart.

I admit that I've never been a huge fan of love triangles, but will usually enjoy a work despite having one. The Pomegranate has one of the worst love triangles I can remember reading, though. For the concept to work, the legs need to be balanced or have some merit. One of the legs here was started and perpetuated at least at the start by rape (which was not a content warning and is pretty graphic) and includes nonconsensual drug use as well. Unless we're talking about dark romance or fiction, it's hard for me to support or be a fan of romantic relationships that keep abusers with those they abuse. Especially if they seem to celebrate those relationships.

The strength of the main character kept me reading even if her strength made it seem even less credible with some of the issues listed above. Despite my own reactions, the quality of the writing was high. Readers who are looking for a female-centered historical fiction with darker elements should still find something to enjoy.