I am an Orthodox Jew living in Brooklyn. I’m also a Baalas Teshuva (one who has returned from the secular world to a Torah life). I also did not grow up in Brooklyn, but I moved here after becoming religious, so this book really hit home for me. I was already married when I moved here, so thankfully I was spared the whole horrible Shidduch process that the protagonists have to deal with in this novel. I have to say that the whole book was really accurate, both the bad and the good. The religious Jewish community is very warm and caring, and they take care of their downtrodden and really make an effort to improve the world around them and raise children who will do the same. They are truly a blessing to the world, even if the world doesn’t realize it. Alas, they are also human. Sometimes they take things too far. They guard their families and their eyes and their hearts so hard that they are suspicious of outsiders who may lead them astray. They hold others to unreasonably high standards. And they believe so much in their own traditions, that they end up condemning the traditions of religious Jews from other backgrounds. And don’t get me started on the Shidduch process. It works wonderfully for many, many, many people. And others are left completely in the cold. I’ve heard horror stories, and I would never put my own daughter through that. But I feel that the author was very fair in representing MY PEOPLE in her novel without making us either an evil caricature or a whitewashed perfect people. We are neither. It is so nice reading a clean novel that shows good people who also have struggles with the world and their own morality, and yet in the end they overcome, as we all should strive for.
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About the author
Character-Driven
Just about four years ago, I read and enjoyed one of Ragen's earlier novels and since then, I have added more of her titles to my ever-growing TBR. This one, her latest release, is certainly well-written. Ragen creates lifelike characters that down to the smallest detail feel authentic. Ragen sets each scene - even the more distant past scenes - with precision. The reader can smell the challah, feel the heat from the candles and clearly see each character. While I was familiar with some of the Hebrew and Yinglish words already, there were some that I had to Google. I wish that the glossary that was provided had been at the start of the book rather than being uselessly buried in the back. The plot itself is quite predictable here. There are no surprises or twists which works well for this sort of novel. It is more driven by the characters and this portrayal of the society of this Orthodox Jewish community. The hardships of conversion and finding acceptance feel accurately portrayed. It's an interesting book and one that I think could be a real hit with book clubs that are looking for more diversity in their reading. This novel could be a great starting point or addition for that! Leah's conversion allows for a lot of detail into the rules and ramifications for breaking those rules to fit well into the narrative. While this is a great character-driven novel, I wish that the plot had been perhaps a little more complex... or that the epilogue had been set farther into the future. The characters are all more completely built and sympathetic, but I just wish that there had been more surprises... But, it's definitely a good read!
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Top reviews from other countries
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Alejandra CardenasReviewed in Mexico on December 17, 2022
Lo estoy leyendo y no quiero que termine! Es EXTRAORDINARIO!!
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