The Romance Reader

Rating:
Summary: Glimpse into a special society
Review: Romance Reader was a choice of my book club and I was surprised how good it was. As others have observed, we care about the heroine, Rachel Benjamin, and her struggles with the religious world of her family. And as others have noted, author Abraham maintains suspense, which mainly focuses on whether the parents will find out what Rachel's doing and shut down her spirit.

Romance Reader brings home a reality about nearly every strict religion. From the outside, demands can seem strict, petty, and even cruel, especially when members are also outsiders in the larger world. Because Rachel's father is also a rabbi, the family is expected to adhere even more stringently to the minutiae of religious observance.

As I read, I kept thinking of parallels to other religious groups. Rachel wonders why male rabbis should be discussing her choice of clothing, just as many Catholic girls wondered why male clergy get involved in their sex lives. Jodi Picoult's novel, Plain Truth, shows how Amish culture leads a mother to risk her own daughter's future to maintain a moral code.

Romance Reader deals explicitly with dual influences on young members of these communities. Conformity is rewarded with strong doses of social support, understanding and love. But the same closeness also isolates Rachel from her schoolmates and neighbors, denying her opportunities to grow as a person and experience the life she wants.

Rachel emerges as a quiet heroine, trying to "do the right thing." On a visit to Williamsburg, a religious section of Brooklyn, she reflects that she would be "more like Ma wanted" if she could live in a community where she wouldn't be different from others around her. She doesn't fight her religion's rules but she consciously makes choices.

The section dealing with Rachel's arranged engagement and marriage is especially poignant. Rachel wants a place she can call her own, sex she can enjoy and work that uses her talents and intellect. She finds herself paired with a decent but naive man from a very nice family -- someone who's (pardon the pun) no match for her.

My favorite sections described the way Rachel and her sister arranged for lifeguarding lessons so they could earn money and gain some freedom. Why, she wonders, can't her family appreciate what she's doing -- shouldering initiative and responsibility -- instead of worrying about whether she's wearing a bathing suit. Ultimately, the life she saves turns out to be her own.

Rating:
Summary: Glimpse into a special society
Review: Romance Reader was a choice of my book club and I was surprised how good it was. As others have observed, we care about the heroine, Rachel Benjamin, and her struggles with the religious world of her family. And as others have noted, author Abraham maintains suspense, which mainly focuses on whether the parents will find out what Rachel's doing and shut down her spirit.

Romance Reader brings home a reality about nearly every strict religion. From the outside, demands can seem strict, petty, and even cruel, especially when members are also outsiders in the larger world. Because Rachel's father is also a rabbi, the family is expected to adhere even more stringently to the minutiae of religious observance.

As I read, I kept thinking of parallels to other religious groups. Rachel wonders why male rabbis should be discussing her choice of clothing, just as many Catholic girls wondered why male clergy get involved in their sex lives. Jodi Picoult's novel, Plain Truth, shows how Amish culture leads a mother to risk her own daughter's future to maintain a moral code.

Romance Reader deals explicitly with dual influences on young members of these communities. Conformity is rewarded with strong doses of social support, understanding and love. But the same closeness also isolates Rachel from her schoolmates and neighbors, denying her opportunities to grow as a person and experience the life she wants.

Rachel emerges as a quiet heroine, trying to "do the right thing." On a visit to Williamsburg, a religious section of Brooklyn, she reflects that she would be "more like Ma wanted" if she could live in a community where she wouldn't be different from others around her. She doesn't fight her religion's rules but she consciously makes choices.

The section dealing with Rachel's arranged engagement and marriage is especially poignant. Rachel wants a place she can call her own, sex she can enjoy and work that uses her talents and intellect. She finds herself paired with a decent but naive man from a very nice family -- someone who's (pardon the pun) no match for her.

My favorite sections described the way Rachel and her sister arranged for lifeguarding lessons so they could earn money and gain some freedom. Why, she wonders, can't her family appreciate what she's doing -- shouldering initiative and responsibility -- instead of worrying about whether she's wearing a bathing suit. Ultimately, the life she saves turns out to be her own.

Rating:
Summary: Coming of age within the Hasidic Jewish culture
Review: This memorable book tells the story of Rachel, and what it's like to come of age within the confines of an ultraconservative Jewish sect. She is surrounded by mainstream America, she is required to follow the strict rules of a culture dating from the Jewish ghettos of 18th century Poland. Rachel wants to fit into the streets of New York kids of the 60s, a desire that nearly makes her rabbi father, dutiful mother, and indeed her entire community, come undone with shock. To readers, Rachel sneaking into the public library to read classical literature is endearing; to her family, it's akin to sacrilege.