I did not mean to make it a Jewish double feature, but I just happened to read these books around the same time, and it was interesting to see the same traditions discussed in a historical context and then in an average middle-class family from New Jersey.
Once There Was a Town by Jane Ziegelman – 3 stars
After the Holocaust, since entire shtetls had been reduced to just a handful of survivors, people across continents came together to put together yizkor books to record their collective memories of these vanished places.
I have never heard of yizkor books, nor knew much about life in the shtetls before or during World War 2. As such this book provides a comprehensive overview with a strong personal touch, as the author interweaves the words of the people who lived there with her own family stories as a typical example of the place. I liked how the author arranged the themes by chapter, giving us glimpses in the work they did, the food they ate, the stories they told, how they prayed, and more.
I did think the book was a bit more limited in scope than I first assumed – though the author does briefly discuss other towns and other yizkor books, the focus remains on Luboml, from where her grandparents came. While the author does use these family histories cleverly to illustrate the theme being discussed in each chapter, I wished we’d gotten other stories too – yizkor books seem to have been full of anecdotes, but we only hear a few. I also thought the writer’s style was a bit dry for my taste.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
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Matzah Ball Blues by Jennifer Wilck – 3.25 stars
Ten years after Jared broke up with Caroline when she needed him most, they cross paths again on his visit home for Passover – but this time it’s Jared who must be responsible for a family member, and Caroline who’s free to embark on an adventure.
I don’t always love a second chance romance, but this one between high school exs who split from the encroaching adult pressures of their lives and reunited ten years later works perfectly. Though Caroline and Jared continue to grow individually through this book, you understand why they work together now, and the romance feels sweet and realistic. I also enjoyed learning about the various observances and traditions during Passover, which the author blends into the story to make it feel like a true holiday romance.
However, I wish Becca had more time on the page – it doesn’t really feel like a single parent romance when the kid’s often off being watched by grandparents, though she did certainly play a major role in Jared’s character arc. The book also ends abruptly – an epilogue, even just a couple of pages, would have helped wrap things up. And – though this might just be more a matter of personal taste – I wish the author would have invented some fictional celebrities for Jared to represent. It was just jarring to have the likes of Ben Platt appearing on the page – I kept wondering if he knew he was in this book!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
