This was an incredibly eye-opening and shocking memoir.
This book recounts the author, Sara Glass's, experience living in an extremely strict OrthodoxThis was an incredibly eye-opening and shocking memoir.
This book recounts the author, Sara Glass's, experience living in an extremely strict Orthodox community (the Gur Hasidic sect) while grappling with achieving her dreams for higher education, becoming independent, and coming to terms with her own sexual identity while also fighting to maintain custody of her children.
I was captivated by Glass's story from the first few pages. I could feel, from the first chapter, the author's guilt, fear, regret and heartbreak, when she spoke of her first girlfriend, Dassa.
Dassa was almost twenty-one and I was nineteen. The only path forward was marriage, to a man, and lots of babies. We would follow the single mold created for adolescent Hasidic girls. Our thing was just a test to be overcome. We never said the worlds out loud. Lesbian, gay, bisexual - those words described sinners, not us.
And so, Glass fought against her attraction to other women by entering into a loveless arranged marriage at the age of 19 and becoming a mother of two shortly after.
I had no justifiable reason to say no. So my answer was yes, because that was what everyone expected of me. Yes, because I needed to get married to meet my mission on earth as child of God. Yes, because no man was ever going to replace Dassa anyway, so why delay the inevitable. It would only become more painful over time. And yes, because he seemed gentle and had nice blue eyes and seemed to really want me to be his wife.
Marriage, however, was not like what Glass imagined. From the uncomfortableness of sex, to the awkward and isolating niddah period (during the monthly cycle when men regard women as impure and untouchable), to her decline in mental and physical health, Glass eventually divorced her husband (which was a battle in itself) at which time she was compelled to sign an agreement promising to raise her children according to Halacha and that if one party is not raising the children according to this strict religious regiment, "custody will be transferred to the other biological parent".
With the constant fear of having her children taken away from her, Glass continued to hide her sexual identity and even remarries - this time to a "Modern Orthodox" from Five Towns.
On the spectrum of Jewish identities, from Hasidic (the most right wing) to secular (far left), the Five Towns was somewhere in the middle/right, what some described as "Modern Orthodox".
But the further Glass moved away from the far right of Orthodox Judaism, the more she started questioning and discovering her own identity and working towards becoming more independent and free. The only thing left was for her to fight for her children.
This was an impressive memoir and I commend Glass for her courage to pursue her dreams of obtaining a PhD, embarking on a journey of self-acceptance, surviving trauma and loss, and slowly distancing herself from the oppressive influences of her ultra-conservative religious upbringing.
This book was not only full of vulnerable thoughts, emotions and experiences, but it also provided very interesting information about Hasidic Jewish practices. Prior to reading this book, I had very little knowledge about the Hasidic Jewish community aside from a New York Times article I came across last year regarding the Hasidic private schools' failure to provide basic education. I also had zero knowledge about ultra-Orthodox Jewish practices. So, I was shocked to learn about the author's extremely conservative and oppressive upbringing in modern America. It was also shocking to me how Glass's ex-husband was incapable of making any decisions on his own and relied on his rabbi to help make all of their life decisions (including when to use contraceptives, when to administer an epidural during pregnancy, and whether or not Glass was permitted to pursue higher education).
This was honestly one of the best memoirs I've read. It was very well written, provided great background information for people like me who know next to nothing about Hasidic Judaism, was introspective, and it did not shy away from sharing what I'm sure were highly traumatic memories.
*All quotes are taken from an Advanced Readers Copy and may change prior to the release of the final copy.*
**I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration, but all opinions are my own.**
This was a fun, lighthearted and quirky clean sapphic romance set in a futuristic, interstellar, 1920's-esque high society with Jewish representation.This was a fun, lighthearted and quirky clean sapphic romance set in a futuristic, interstellar, 1920's-esque high society with Jewish representation.
The story, told in first person, follows a con artist Ruth Johnson who arrives in the high society of New Monte while pretending to be an eligible debutante, Evelyn Ojukwu - a princess from a faraway planet. She immediately captures the attention of Esteban Mendez-Yuki, one of the wealthiest heirs in New Monte, with the intent of making him fall in love with her, marry her, break his heart, and steal his fortune as revenge for breaking her sister's heart. Things don't go as plan when Esteban's charming and brilliant sister, Sol, appears to be suspicious of her and seems to have her figured out.
I found the worldbuilding, particularly the technology aspect, to be a bit flimsy (the technology seems high-tech... but also not? Also, when do they use breathers - is it just an optional fashion choice to be carried around for emergencies?) but the high-society and futuristic parties and social engagements were pretty interesting.
I'll also note that the con also didn't seem well thought out (if I were Ruth's sister, I'd be LIVID that my sister ran off to marry my ex, even if it's just to scam his of his money).
The romance and banter was fun (even though I wasn't the biggest fan of Ruth's personality and voice), and the story was fast-paced (although maybe a bit too rushed at times).
Overall, a decent book for those looking for a light-hearted sci-fi story.
**I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration, but all opinions are my own.**
To be honest, everything I know about Barbra Streisand is from Glee (which is to say that the only think I knew about her was that she was the st3.5/5
To be honest, everything I know about Barbra Streisand is from Glee (which is to say that the only think I knew about her was that she was the star of Funny Girl and is Jewish).
This memoir is definitely intended for die-hard Streisand fans (aka Rachel Berry) because it goes into incredible detail about all of Streisand's works (99% of which I was unfamiliar with lol). She provides a lot of behind-the-scenes information and critical analysis of her work that are quite interesting and definitely made me more curious about her early movies (none of which are available on Netflix or included in Prime... boo).
Even though I wasn't familiar with most of Streisand's work, I admire her worth ethic and passion. She also provided a lot of insight on what it's like being a female director and a director with acting experience.
Streisand has had a very impressive career and it's clear from this memoir that she's incredibly proud of everything she's worked on (as she should be!)
Audiobook Comments This is probably the longest audiobook I've ever listened to (48 hours!!) Somehow, Streisand made this audiobook feel shorter than it actually was. This is probably because she narrates the book in such a candid way that I was never bored. This audiobook also include many snippets of her songs as well, which made the listening experience more enjoyable.
I did find her narrating to be quite slow and had to listen to the audiobook at x1.75 and x1.85 speeds, while switching back to regular speed or x1.25 for the songs.
Reading Advice If I had to re-read/re-listen to this book again, I would probably take my time with it and take breaks in between to watch one of her movies or listen to one of her albums before she dives into it (each chapter usually marks the work that she'll discuss in detail).
The book should be required reading. It follows three different families from different countries and time periods who have left everything behind to The book should be required reading. It follows three different families from different countries and time periods who have left everything behind to flee a war-torn country and seek refuge elsewhere.
This book follows three characters and their families: Josef, 1930's - a Jewish boy and his family, escaping Nazi Germany and heading to Cuba by ship. Isabel, 1994 - a Cuban girl and her family and friends, escaping the riots and political reign of Fidel Castro. They leave Cuba in a homemade boat with the hopes of reaching Miami and moving to the US. Mahmoud, 2015 - a Syrian boy and his family, whose home were destroyed by the bombings in Aleppo. Their plan is to drive to Turkey and pay for a boat passage that will take them to Greece, where they can ultimately start travelling towards Germany for refuge.
Although set in different countries and different time periods, it's interesting to see how much these refugees have in common and how much hardship they've faced. They've all had to sacrifice so much - leaving their home, losing friends and loved ones, and coming face-to-face with unimaginable dangers and obstacles. It's rather heartbreaking to know that these stories, though fictional, are based on facts and real people, and that time and time again, people are forced to uproot their lives and flee a country that they've once loved.
I find it also quite clever that plots are somewhat interconnected - Mahmoud seeking refuge in Germany, Josef seeking refuge in Cuba, and Isabel looking to escape Cuba.
The author includes a note at the end of the book that was also really interesting. He explains the historical events that occurred during each period and the real-life people and events that inspired many aspects of the story.
Although this is a middle-grade novel, I would recommend this to anyone and everyone. I found it really well written, wonderfully narrated, educational, and eye-opening.
I'm surprised by the overwhelmingly negative reviews for this book from my Goodreads friends because I genuinely enjoyed this light, fluffy summer-y bI'm surprised by the overwhelmingly negative reviews for this book from my Goodreads friends because I genuinely enjoyed this light, fluffy summer-y book!
Synopsis Jamie Goldberg and Maya Rehman were both forced (by their parents, obviously) to go canvassing door to door for their local state senate candidate. Although it initially started as a chore, they both came to enjoy it as their friendship started to grow. When the opposing political party announced their plans to pass a bill to ban hijabs, Jamie and Maya decide to do whatever they can to raise awareness and community support to oppose this discriminatory bill.
Politics This is definitely a book that's heavy on politics, which I really enjoyed. Anyone who liked the political drama from Red, White & Royal Blue will probably also like this book. There is a clear emphasis on the importance of voting and political activism, which I think is much needed in YA novels. This novel is basically a love letter to democrats with a very clear message to stay hopeful, hold on tight, and keep fighting for justice.
Religion As many reviewers have mentioned, there was too much emphasis on politics and not enough on religion - Jamie is Jewish and helping his mom plan his sister's bat mitzvah, while Maya is Muslim and fasting during Ramadan. I wish the authors spent a bit more time emphasizing and diving deeper into the importance of these character's religious upbringing rather than mentioning it in passing and skimming the surface. I also found it a bit strange by how at ease Jamie was with being at an iftar dinner and how easily Maya blended in at the bat mitzvah - as someone who's been to neither, I would've loved more descriptions on the festivities, food, cultural differences, and more emphasis on how important these celebrations were to the characters.
Romance I really liked the characters. They were fun, awkward, lovable, and totally relatable (they're also huge fans of The Office, yay!). The chemistry was great, but honestly, I think I would've loved this book even more if Jamie and Maya were simply in a platonic relationship. Or took it super slow (hugs and hand-holding only), especially since Maya wasn't interested in dating and was saving for marriage. The whole makeout session was completely unnecessary. Is it too much to ask for a YA that only hinted at romance?
Side note: I absolutely loved Jamie's younger sister Sophie and would've loved to see more of her. Whenever Sophie appeared, I couldn't help but picture Sophia (coincidence?) from Life in Pieces [image]
tl;dr - Loved the political aspects, was a bit lacking in the religious area, and the romance was cute (but could've been dialled back a bit at the end). Fans of The Office will love all the references to the show. [image]...more
I’ve been meaning to read this since elementary school but couldn’t bring myself to do it (we all know what happened to Anne Frank in the end and I waI’ve been meaning to read this since elementary school but couldn’t bring myself to do it (we all know what happened to Anne Frank in the end and I wanted to spare myself the heartache). But I feel like this is one of those must-read kind of books because of its important historical significance.
With that being said, this was a good book. Of course, the editors proofread her work - but you can tell right off the bat that Anne was an exceptionally bright kid. I remember trying to keep a diary when I was her age (her entries were dated over the period from when she was 13 to 15 years old)... my diary entries mostly consisted of something along the lines of: “Dear Diary, my brother is being really annoying again. He is driving me crazy. That’s all for today.” Like 13 year old me, Anne also writes about how annoying her sibling is. Except she did it more artfully than I did.
Margot’s a stinker (there’s no other word for it), a constant source of irritation, morning, noon and night.
I think it’s fascinating to read Anne Frank’s diary and follow her journey of growing up in hiding at the Annex. Her writing becomes more mature throughout her time at the Annex. Take her thoughts on love at the age of 14 as an example:
Love, what is love? I don’t think you can really put it into words. Love is understanding someone, caring for him, sharing his joys and sorrows. This eventually includes physical love. You’ve shared something, given something away and received something in return, whether or not you’re married, whether or not you have a baby. Losing your virtue doesn’t matter, as long as you know that for as long as you live you’ll have someone at your side who understands you, and who doesn’t have to be shared with anyone else!
It’s interesting that one of the worries that Anne expressed on a few different occasions is that she will never be remembered and will never become a writer. She hoped to become a journalist or a writer after the war.
You’ve known for a long time that my greatest wish is to be a journalist, and later on, a famous writer. We’ll have to wait and see if these grand illusions (or delusions!) will ever come true, but up to now I’ve had no lack of topics. In any case, after the war I’d like to publish a book called The Secret Annex. It remains to be seen whether I’ll succeed, but my diary can serve as the basis
I hope, if there is an afterlife, that Anne knows her dream did come true and I hope she takes pride in the fact that her diary is one of the most widely known and important memoirs of our time....more
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