HF6

Puppet Wiseman, Eva Cale Bollman

Written by a woman who was born and raised in Hungary, Eva Wiseman was quite familiar with the trial of 1883. In later years of her life, she was inspired by the events that transpire, to write the novel // Puppet //, which portrays the death of Esther, a ten-year-old schoolgirl during the early 1880’s. Esther is never part of society, being that she is a Jewish orphan for the first couple years of her life before she is found unexplainably dead along the bank of a river. After many conclusions, the village turns to the Jewish community holding them responsible. Julie, Esther’s one and only friend, faces the difficulty of testifying against her beloved old companion to prove the Jews are not held accountable. The novel depicts the struggles of discrimination that is present during this time period and difficulties the Jewish children experience day to day. Eva Wiseman’s book represents the emotional toll and racism that the guiltless villagers have to strive through in order to prove their innocents. // Puppet //, illustrated the best and worst in human nature, but keeps the reader on their toes till the end. (190)