As we launch our 75th anniversary celebrations, what could be more fitting than Daniel Deronda, one of the most remarkable novels in English literature. George Eliot’s visionary portrait of Jewish identity astonished her contemporaries and feels even more vital now. Her exploration of belonging and cultural vitality reflects perfectly the spirit of Jewish Book Week — a festival that explores the stories that have shaped us while embracing the richness and creativity of Jewish life today. That Eliot – an Englishwoman with no personal stake in Jewish life – approached this world with such empathy and imagination makes the novel all the more extraordinary.