Rating: 
Summary: Blessings
Review: A wonderful love story with a Southwestern setting, Blessings shares with its readers the love and warmth that the author has, not only for the Native American community, but provides the reader with an "insider's view" of life on the "Big Rez" at least as it relates to family and healthcare. Having married a Navajo women and being a New York trained physician, the author "speaks" with much experience and knowlege. One must suspect the book to be significantly autobiographical which, of course, creates a wonderful dilemna for the reader, to wit: what is truth and what is fiction. Having lived in New Mexico myself and having been a frequent visitor to the Navajo Nation, it made me a bit homesick. Having attended a Jewish friend's wedding in Lukachuki a few years ago when he was married, in a hogan, to a wonderful Navajo lady, this book brought back some great memories, which added to the experience. It was fast reading and easy to follow. It was pure enjoyment. A real "feel good" experience that was entertaining as well as educational. I strongly recommend it for anyone who lives in Arizona, New Mexico, or New York, Jewish or not.
Rating:
Summary: Blessings
Review: A wonderful love story with a Southwestern setting, Blessings shares with its readers the love and warmth that the author has, not only for the Native American community, but provides the reader with an "insider's view" of life on the "Big Rez" at least as it relates to family and healthcare. Having married a Navajo women and being a New York trained physician, the author "speaks" with much experience and knowlege. One must suspect the book to be significantly autobiographical which, of course, creates a wonderful dilemna for the reader, to wit: what is truth and what is fiction. Having lived in New Mexico myself and having been a frequent visitor to the Navajo Nation, it made me a bit homesick. Having attended a Jewish friend's wedding in Lukachuki a few years ago when he was married, in a hogan, to a wonderful Navajo lady, this book brought back some great memories, which added to the experience. It was fast reading and easy to follow. It was pure enjoyment. A real "feel good" experience that was entertaining as well as educational. I strongly recommend it for anyone who lives in Arizona, New Mexico, or New York, Jewish or not.
Rating:
Summary: A Thoughtful Tale of Love Spanning Two Cultures
Review: Blessings captures the essence of the southwest with wonderful descriptions of the landscape and the Navajo people. Against the backdrop of the landscape Avrum Organick has delivered a human tale reminiscent of the legend of the bird and the fish who fall in love but their native environments are so different they cannot share their lives. In this story, the couple is able to overcome the obstacles and build a fruitful relationship where the very differences that could tear them apart bring growth.
Blessings tells the story of Jack, a young Jewish doctor from New York City and Ida, a strong willed, beautiful Navajo girl who fall in love while Jack is on a tuberculosis rotation at a clinic on the Navajo reservation. Jack's immersion in the Navajo culture gives us insights into the Navajo way of life and way of thinking. When Jack and Ida move to New York City, Ida becomes the one transplanted and we gain new insights into American city life and the Jewish culture through the filter of her Navajo upbringing. Their children are raised in a thoughtful melding of Navajo and Jewish religions and outlooks, and occasionally struggle with native bigotry from both cultures. This is a rich and warm story describing the lives Jack and Ida build together. Having grown up in New Mexico, the descriptions of the reservation landscape made me want to sell my house and move back.
Rating: 
Summary: This second, expanded edition has 4 new stories and maps
Review: Comments I've had from readers of the first edition of "Blessings" have been, "I want more," "I couldn't put it down." This led me to include four stories, all with settings on the Navajo, with links to characters in the main novel which is unchanged.
Rating:
Summary: Touching love story of how love can endure.
Review: I enjoyed reading this very touching love story of how despite cultural and religious differences, the respect for each others views, overcomes the difficult times. It makes one think about how we all might learn to live and respect one anothers cultures and religions.
Rating:
Summary: a blending of two worlds
Review: I found Dr. Organick's portrayal of life on the reservation and the strong family ties here beautifully portrayed. The People have such a moving story to tell as they struggle to keep the old ways and incorporate the new, and this book gives insight into that struggle. The reservation has changed dramatically in the last 50 years, and Blessings gives the reader the ability to see those changes from the early days of Anglo intervention to the present day. The personal nature of this novel and the ablilty of the author to delicately describe the feelings and thoughts of his characters have made this a book which transports the reader into the story. Accounts of both traditional Navajo and Jewish ceremonies/beliefs add luster to the story. I loved the characters and found them endearing in their honesty and their desire to find their true path. I have also sent several copies to friends and relatives.
Rating:
Summary: a blending of two worlds
Review: I found Dr. Organick's portrayal of life on the reservation and the strong family ties here beautifully portrayed. The People have such a moving story to tell as they struggle to keep the old ways and incorporate the new, and this book gives insight into that struggle. The reservation has changed dramatically in the last 50 years, and Blessings gives the reader the ability to see those changes from the early days of Anglo intervention to the present day. The personal nature of this novel and the ablilty of the author to delicately describe the feelings and thoughts of his characters have made this a book which transports the reader into the story. Accounts of both traditional Navajo and Jewish ceremonies/beliefs add luster to the story. I loved the characters and found them endearing in their honesty and their desire to find their true path. I have also sent several copies to friends and relatives.
Rating:
Summary: Two diverse, adjusted people = one good story
Review: I found this book at the Hubbel Trading Post in Arizona, and the staff (who were Navajo) recommended it highly. This was good enough for me to purchase the book, but it was the story that caused me to read it. This biographical novel tells the story of a Jewish physician and a Navajo lady, both of whom were well adjusted to their own cultural identities. The physician originally came to the Navajo land because of his interest in pulmonary medicine but soon became captivated by the beauty of the land and its people (especially, of course, one gentle lady). The two grow together during a long and apparently functional marriage despite the pressures of an academic medical career, an extended separation from their beloved Arizona, and the pressures of relatives and friends who want them to remain with "their own" people. Even though it is a good enough story on its own, the author gives us a wonderful lesson for the world we live in. The family grows together because of their solid and positive grounding in their diverse cultures -- both were comfortable enough with themselves to be comfortable with each other, and both saw the benefits of letting each other become the best possible Jew and the best possible Navajo. When people are reasonably and positively comfortable with their own cultural identity, they may have less pressure to make everyone else seem inferior. In addition, this was a good story. The author separately relates four short stories which help us put the main story into context and which help broaden an understanding of Navajo life. I'm glad I read this book, and had the opportunity to share this part of the lives of two apparently decent people.
Rating:
Summary: Two diverse, adjusted people = one good story
Review: I found this book at the Hubbel Trading Post in Arizona, and the staff (who were Navajo) recommended it highly. This was good enough for me to purchase the book, but it was the story that caused me to read it. This biographical novel tells the story of a Jewish physician and a Navajo lady, both of whom were well adjusted to their own cultural identities. The physician originally came to the Navajo land because of his interest in pulmonary medicine but soon became captivated by the beauty of the land and its people (especially, of course, one gentle lady). The two grow together during a long and apparently functional marriage despite the pressures of an academic medical career, an extended separation from their beloved Arizona, and the pressures of relatives and friends who want them to remain with "their own" people. Even though it is a good enough story on its own, the author gives us a wonderful lesson for the world we live in. The family grows together because of their solid and positive grounding in their diverse cultures -- both were comfortable enough with themselves to be comfortable with each other, and both saw the benefits of letting each other become the best possible Jew and the best possible Navajo. When people are reasonably and positively comfortable with their own cultural identity, they may have less pressure to make everyone else seem inferior. In addition, this was a good story. The author separately relates four short stories which help us put the main story into context and which help broaden an understanding of Navajo life. I'm glad I read this book, and had the opportunity to share this part of the lives of two apparently decent people.
Rating: 
Summary: Two thumbs down
Review: I picked up this book while vacationing in the southwest. The subject sounded interesting. If only the story had been written by a ghost writer it may have been worth the time taken to read it. Blessings is a juvenile rendering of a love story. It's written on the level of teenage romance novels, but I doubt if any teenagers would find it any more engaging than I did. This is a story of an educated, older man approached by a young Navajo woman with aspirations of attending college. Unfortunately, from the moment they met, all of her goals for higher education were completely ignored all to pander to her husband's ego. Don't waste your time. The other reviews must have been written by friends.
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