Claudia Fabian asked Mirta Ines Trupp:

I loved your book, Becoming Malka! Bobe Malka is a wonderful character and I so enjoyed the combination of Fiddler on the Roof with Lost in Austen! I completely got that :-) Here is my question. How is Bobe Malka so open to accepting time travel- being a woman of the Victorian age and from a "religious" background? Thank you!

Mirta Ines Trupp Thank you Claudia. I'm so happy you enjoyed it! I loved combining my favorite subjects and creating this book. There are so few "period dramas" that incorporate Jewish themes or characters. Bobe Malka is a combination of real women that I've known with several characters from my beloved historical novels. In my mind, Bobe Malka is able to accept the "magic" of time travel because she 'is' a religious person; she is an observant Jewish woman raised by a man who was knowledgeable, as well as full of emunah (faith). If one has faith that G-d does everything for a reason- that Divine Providence is a real and true force in our lives, then one must be open to the "magic" of one's life. If Malka believed in Moses and the burning bush or the parting of the Red Sea or Miriam and her well of fresh water, then I can see her believing that her great, great-granddaughter traveled across time. Once she meets Molly, Bobe Malka understands that her descendant is on a journey; Malka doesn't question this because she doesn't question the wisdom behind the miracle. Thank you for asking an awesome question!

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