Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People. Volume II by Ann Allen Savoy (review)

who are portrayed in previous tales presented in the book. The selected folktales show that emphasizing binary categories contributes to creating strong emotions, thus conveying the desired message. The fourth chapter includes six tales focused on kosher food and Jewish identity. Four tales portray Jews and Christians eating together with restrictions. The remaining two tales deal with kosher issues in a Jewish kitchen. The tales expose reasons given for the strict rules and the challenges of keeping a kosher diet. With her choice of tales, PintelGinsberg shows that when it comes to kosher food, the “other” may be Christians or Muslims, but they may also be Jews, either men or women who commit a critical mistake during food preparation. The fifth and last chapter focuses on the connection between food and sacred times, as well as its role related to ritual observance and Jewish identity. The tales deal with the tension caused by Shabbat and Holy Day meal preparation. Celestial beings or men’s rules help loosen this tension. While three tales focus on identity, two other tales offer etiological explanations for the connection between a special dish and Jewish law. Such is the tale “Wherefore the Custom of Eating Dairy Products on Shavuot,” which blames women’s rebelliousness for a transformation of tradition, eating simple dairy dishes instead of festive meat dishes on a central Holy Day. PintelGinsberg’s excellent choice to end the book with a tale that combines food, gender, hunger, and satisfaction during a sacred time allows her to bring to the reader’s attention the biblical and Talmudic roots underlying countless Jewish folktales. Supported by a rich bibliography and additional folktales, PintelGinsberg’s indepth discussions create a meaningful dialogue between the storyteller, the author, and the reader. Thus, The Angel and the Cholent is a good reference for anyone interested in the correlation between food and folktales in specific cultural and comparative contexts. Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People. Volume II. Compiled and written by Ann Allen Savoy. (Eunice, LA: Bluebird Press, 2021. Pp xvi + 440, introduction, discography resources/ song titles, using this book, acknowledgments, bibliography, recordings used, song index, selective index.)