From the perspective of Miryem's narrative, this is an early turning point signalling the character's willingness to inflict harsh punishments on for the sake of her profession. The first is Wanda, eldest daughter of a widowed, alcoholic farmer who is indentured by Miryem to pay off her father's debt.

Miryem starts off as the only narrator in Spinning Silver but her voice is soon joined by that of two other young women. It's the first threat that kickstarts the story, as Miryem is pushed into an unwinnable bargain with the Lord of the Staryk and finds herself caught up in the politics of both fairy and human courts, with the fate of both lands at stake. Second, her business sense quickly plays into the current of anti-Semitism in Miryem's town, creating an increasingly hostile environment for her family at the very time when they might need support from the community.

There are two serious dangers to this ability, however: first, her success quickly draws the attention of the Staryk, the dangerous spirits of the winter forests, who are known to kill humans that hunt their animals or travel on their roads. To the horror of her parents and the approval of her grandfather, her foray into moneylending quickly becomes successful and Miryem is soon able to take pride in her ability to turn silver into gold. Miryam's only moments of comfort come through visits to her mother's wealthier family, and when her mother becomes ill, she feels she has no choice but to take over the job her father has done so poorly. Miryem's father has made a name for himself by being generous to a fault, rarely collecting what is owed, and sinking the family into poverty as the community happily takes advantage of him. The protagonist of Spinning Silver is Miryem, daughter of a moneylender whose family are the only Jews in a small, poor town.

Spinning silver novel