From Publishers Weekly
Abraham shows strong talent in her debut novel, the story of a young girl's coming-of-age in an ultraorthodox Hasidic home. The reader soon cares deeply about narrator Rachel, the eldest of six children, who yearns for some of the forbidden fruits of the secular world. Her rebbe father is another endearing character; he dreams of establishing a major synagogue and learning center even while he desperately looks for a 10th man for a minyan for his sparse congregation. Most of the story takes place in a suburban community that receives an influx of Hasidim in the summer months; for the rest of the year, the rebbe's family is the neighborhood curiosity. Rachel is a dutiful child who tries hard to please her mother, an angry woman who belittles her husband's dreams and wants to be part of one of Brooklyn's larger Hasidic enclaves. Rachel's glimpses of the larger world come from casual and often uncomfortable encounters with non-Jews and secular Jews in her town, but especially from romance novels, which she reads secretly. Her seemingly flagrant behavior (she refuses to wear seamed, opaque stockings, opting instead for seamless, and will not wear a cover-up over her bathing suit while teaching young girls to swim) brings shame to her family and endangers a marital opportunity for her brilliant younger brother. Despite her resolve to establish a more independent life, Rachel agrees to an arranged marriage, both to make her family happy and as a first step toward a new existence. When this match goes awry, Rachel's solution is both funny and bittersweet. Abraham's intense, sensitive prose and her ability to create vivid scenes and memorable characters augment this authentic, often disturbing, look at Hasidic home life and beliefs. Literary Guild featured alternate; author tour. (Aug.).
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
YA?As the oldest child of Rebbe (Rabbi) Benjamin, Rachel, 12, is expected to follow the traditions of her ultra-Orthodox Chassidic family, and to set a good example for her six siblings. She must be modest, chaste, and obedient, even though, she is bursting to explore the world of her classmates. She wants to be a lifeguard, but wearing a bathing suit is "improper." Her parents protect Rachel from straying from the right-and-righteous way, or bringing shame to herself and her family. Every issue becomes a battle of wills, with Rachel always pushing the limits and sidestepping the restrictions. She surreptitiously obtains some coveted romance novels, which are her only source of sex information prior to her arranged marriage at age 18. Rachel is a memorable character, capable, spirited, intuitive, and difficult. Her mother is brilliantly drawn as a complex, high-strung woman who wants the same kind of life for her daughter that has made her own so unhappy. This fast-paced, easy-to-read, coming-of-age story weaves Chassidic laws and customs into Rachel's first-person narrative. Students will sympathize with the girl's struggle to create a meaningful path that differs from that of her family and friends.?Judy Sokoll, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
