11-year-old Eliza is the unseen member of her family: her parents are both preoccupied with work, and her brother is absorbed by his own adolescent life. When Eliza wins a spelling bee, she sparks not only her visibility, but also a change in her family dynamic. Eliza's father devotes all of his attention to assisting his daughter in becoming a spelling bee champion, finding an emotional release in the power of words and the spiritual mysticism he sees at work in her unmatched ability. As a professor of religious studies, he saw the chance as more than a diversion from his daily life; he views it as a means of resolving his personal faith problem. His vicarious journey to God, real or imagined, drives him to obsess over Eliza's accomplishment, and he begins teaching her Kabbalah secrets. Eliza watches as a new secret about her family's hidden struggle is revealed with each new word she spells as she prepares for the National Spelling Bee.
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11-year-old Eliza is the unseen member of her family: her parents are both preoccupied with work, and her brother is absorbed by his own adolescent life. When Eliza wins a spelling bee, she sparks not only her visibility, but also a change in her family dynamic. Eliza's father devotes all of his attention to assisting his daughter in becoming a spelling bee champion, finding an emotional release in the power of words and the spiritual mysticism he sees at work in her unmatched ability. As a professor of religious studies, he saw the chance as more than a diversion from his daily life; he views it as a means of resolving his personal faith problem. His vicarious journey to God, real or imagined, drives him to obsess over Eliza's accomplishment, and he begins teaching her Kabbalah secrets. Eliza watches as a new secret about her family's hidden struggle is revealed with each new word she spells as she prepares for the National Spelling Bee.
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