Check out these book reviews from Deena. Deena was a member of the Library’s Patron Service Team who recently retired. She has generously continued to share book reviews with us. Thank you, Deena!
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Unorthodox: the Scandalous Rejection of my Hasidic roots by Deborah Feldman DB74459
Deborah grew up in the Hasidic community of Williamsburg, Brooklyn New York. Even as child she longs for the freedom her religion prevents her from experiencing such as dressing fashionably and reading books. Deborah was raised by her religious grandparents. Her father suffered from mental illness and her mother abandoned her family. She attends a private Jewish school and all of her classmates seem to have more than she does. When she graduates, she becomes a teacher in a Jewish school teaching sixth grade. After about a year, she is matched with a religious Jew and they marry. There are many problems in the marriage as Deborah still longs for being able to read what she wants and to get an education. To find out more about Deborah’s story read the book and watch the movie “Unorthodox” on Netflix.
The Homecoming by Earl Hamner BR1474, LT8270
For those of you old enough to remember this is a trip down memory lane. This was the pilot for the Waltons TV series, although most of the names are different from the TV series, this has the same folksy, family-oriented feel.
The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult DB76311
Like a lot of Picoult’s books this book has several story lines. The present day is of Sage Singer, a baker, who works nights in a bakery. Sage meets and befriends, Josef, an elderly gentleman who was in the bakery. Sage’s only family nearby is her grandmother, a Holocaust survivor. As Sage gets to know Josef, he confides in her he was an SS officer in the German military. Sage has mixed feelings about this as she likes Josef and he is respected in the community, but her grandmother survived being in a concentration camp. This book has many twists and turns and typical of Picoult a surprise ending. Very well-written, excellent story.