Set in the independent Jewish empire of Khazaria in the tenth century, Ziva and her twin brother, Pesah, search desperately for a cure to Pesah’s leprosy. Although Pesah resides in a separate building to avoid transmission of his disease, Ziva can’t stay away from her twin. Who else will change his bandages? The two concoct experimental salves to try to cure Pesah’s sores, but when Ziva overhears her uncle’s plan to send Pesah to a colony where he will eventually die, she takes drastic measures. Escaping with the family wagon, the twins head for Byzantium, where they hope to find doctors. They feel a particular urgency after Pesah has a vision in which he meets malach ha-mavet, the Angel of Death, on Rosh Hashanah—the holiday is fast approaching. Along the way, Ziva frees a sheyd, or demon, from captivity; in turn, he leads the twins to a city called Luz, where malach ha-mavet is not permitted. But Luz is not what the twins expect; a life there will be devoid of pleasure and meaning. Unwilling to simply leave and let Pesah die, Ziva attempts to bargain with the Angel of Death. A novel firmly grounded in Khazarian Jewish culture avoids the problematic trap of magical healing for Pesah; instead, Ziva’s and Pesach’s painful, heartbreaking acceptance of Pesah’s approaching death is thoughtfully and sensitively portrayed.  (Ages 9-12)