Fanning out from the tiny island of Malta and the least well-known Jewish community of the world, Aline P'nina Tayar's family finds homes, acceptance and a kind of peace in an assortment of nations and cultures round the Mediterranean. They settle and thrive in Tunisia, France, Italy, Egypt. Even finally in Australia. The author, who describes herself as a Maltese, Jewish, Australian Englishwoman, brings to this saga of transplantation a wry, gentle humour, a brilliantly observant eye for cultural nuance and an unselfconscious compassion for her extraordinary ancestry. In the English-speaking world, few memoirs have been published of the Jewish communities of the Mediterranean. In bringing 'How Shall We Sing?' to an American audience, Jewish Heritage aims to present a different picture of Jewish life, a counterpoint to the tragic histories of the Jews of eastern and central Europe. In this account of a family's migrations all round the Mediterranean, Aline P'nina Tayar tenderly and humorously evokes lives lived in search of peace, prosperity and a sense of belonging. Following the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, Tayar's ancestors established themselves in Venice, Livorno and Tripoli. Five generations ago they ended up on the island of Malta, once notorious under the rule of the Knights of the Order of Saint John for its hostility to Jews. The little known history of Malta's Jews is at the heart of Tayar's account. As is the author's quest for a place in which she can say she truly belongs. 'How Shall We Sing' is remarkable for the balance it maintains between scepticism, critique and nostalgia for a vanished world.
