Tuesday, April 12, 2016

It's Here!!! The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem






The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem
By Sarit Yusgai-Levy

Published by Thomas Dunne Books
Part of St. Martin Publishing.
Complimentary copy.








I am very excited to learn about, The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem. I was sent this copy a few weeks ago. I just haven't had the time to look at the book as yet until today. Also, my excitement which I can't contain myself. This book made me think of another novel that was set in Jerusalem before it became a state. That book is Jerusalem Maiden which I loved. What I am also excited about is that our book club is finally going to SKYPE, author Talia Carner. She published her novel, Hotel Moscow. We are going to be hosting her from Myrtle Beach via  New York from the privacy of SKYPE! We don't even have to leave the beach. Who would have ever thought. 


                    Hotel Moscow by author, Talia Carner, and her previous novel, Jerusalem Maiden




In late September 1993, Brooke Fielding, a thirty-eight-year-old New York investment manager and the daughter of Jewish Holocaust survivors, accepts an invitation to teach entrepreneurial skills to Russian businesswomen in Moscow. Though excited by the opportunity to be one of the first Americans to visit Russia after the fall of communism, she wonders what awaits her in the country that persecuted her mother just a generation ago. But as the Russian parliament's uprising against President Boris Yeltsin turns Moscow into a volatile war zone, Brooke finds that her involvement comes at a high cost. For in a city where "capitalism" is still a dirty word, where neighbors spy on neighbors and the new economy is in the hands of a few dangerous men, nothing Brooke does goes unnoticed—and a mistake in her past may now compromise her future.








                                                                     The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem


The #1 International Best Seller!

The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem is a dazzling novel of mothers and daughters, stories told and untold, and the ties that bind four generations of women.
Here is the review from the Jewish Book Council here. You also can listen to an excerpt here on Israel radio here. 

Here is an article the author wrote on Jewish Book Council here


This is my favorite time of year. When the great buzz of book are heard all across the US. Too bad again, I will not be attending BEA. Which this year it will not be in NYC, but in Chicago.


I am also thinking that this may be our Jewish Grand Strand Reads for 2017! That is how confident I am about this novel. Ok, I have not done a literary rant for awhile. So forgive me.


So again, thank you again John Karle, and  Staci Burt both from St. Martin Books.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

10th Anniversary Book Club and Review






The Bridal Chair
By Gloria Goldreich




Our book club met this month for our tenth anniversary celebration. We decided on The Bridal Chair. Some of us were reluctant to read because we all thought it was romance.  W were wrong.Elaine Karpel, a snowbird from upstate New York. Arranged for the author, Gloria Goldreich to speak to us through speaker phone. It was wonderful listening to her and learning about the Chagall's and what she thought.


The Bridal Chair, is not about Marc Chagall instead it is centered on his daughter, Ida. The author states that the novel, Bridal Chair is pretty accurate on the life of Marc Chagall's daughter and her father, Marc and her mother Bella.

Marc and Bella are in France raising their daughter. Ida has gotten pregnant. Instead of Ida wanting to marry her lover, she is forced into the marriage. As a wedding gift he paints her the "Bridal Chair".
The relationship of both her parents are very different than most of us. He is very eccentric, and hostile at a drop of a hat.  As Ida grows to womanhood. Her parents are very dependent on her to make decisions for them.

As Hitler is on the prowl. The Chagall's are forced to make a decision. But, both her parents are very petty, compared to the entire picture of the war in Europe.  Ida's husband's family are in great danger.
They are unfortunately have to be left behind. While the Chagall's are able to escape, thanks to Guggenheim, in the US. Ida's parent's especially her father is in a false delusion. That the SS won't touch him because who he is. Finally as the SS gets closer and closer. They come to realize that just because he is an artist. He is not safe. Ida's husband saves Ida's parents.

The family arrives in the  United States, specifically in upper state New York where he resides. Both her parents rely heavily on Ida to make decisions.  So much so, it is unhealthy. It appears that Ida is the adult and her parents are the children.  Ida is also, Marc Chagall's business manager. She is dealing, and selling, making arrangements for his paintings.  When Bella dies from pneumonia. Ida enables her father. She doesn't want her father to fall in a deep depression. Instead he finds a woman that will be her housekeeper. Eventually they become lovers.

I felt sorry for Ida and her relationship with her parents. Her relationship with her parents was unhealthy. How they relied on her. She was stifled by her father. She thought she had the responsibility of finding someone to fill his wife's shoes after Bella died. What kind of life is that for her? Not much.. I can't tell you the saddest part after this because it will just ruin it. I will say, her father let other people control his life, at the end, Ida was free of Marc. Someone else took over. But, how it was done was a slap in the face!

One thought I had Gloria Goldreich has been around for a long while. I remember my grandmother loved to read her novels. Her writing is from the old school. There is not any writing secrets, gimmicks, or writing style. It is straight narrative. There is not any illusions. Most young authors write not with a straight narrative, with flash backs, or climax driven. Some writing styles after awhile they get old. It is refreshing to remember the old style of, straight narrative. Gloria calls the book, not historical fiction. Which, I am surprised about. Rather, she calls it, biofiction. New genre for me.

I love Marc Chagall's work. But, after reading about him. I look at him at a different light personally. But, that shouldn't change how you feel about him, as an artist. I think of his work sinomonus with Shalom Aleichem. Perhaps because the picture you draw of Shalom Aleicheim is Chagall's artistic shetl style. I loved reading the Bridal Chair. If you are familiar with Chagall. Also, love art, and history. I would think you would love to read this one as much as I did.


                                                            Marc Chagall's Paintings:











Marc Chagall also did other mediums as you can see below:


Below is Marc Chagall at work at the Metropolitan Opera House in NYC



                                                    This is the opera house in Paris




                           This is the stain windows at Hadassah Hospital in Israel.


I reviewed Bridal Chair about a month ago after our book club. I am surprised I still remember some of it. Some of it is somewhere in my memory. Please forgive me if I am not accurate in places, people at exact time and names. I would like to thank Source Book for sending me a review copy and allowing our book club to talk to the author, Gloria Goldreich. Also here is a few other reviews here,

Our book club had our tenth anniversary this month. We met at my friend's house, Carrol's. The theme of food was Russian, French, Jewish cuisine.  There was so much food, and drinks. Our belly's were quite full. My friend Donna's husband made a cake for the occasion.




We had great conversation. There was so much to discuss about Ida, and her parents. The family dynamics, Jewish rejection or wasn't it?, What does he's drawings represents? His daughter relationship with his father? Thank you Elaine for arranging the author to speak to us. Thank you Gloria.

Kate Lloyd, from Simon and Schuester was so kind. As a gift  for our tenth anniversary. Simon and Schuester Publishing gave each of the book club members a copy of, The Lights We Cannot See to our book club she gave us ten copies of the novel, We will be discussing next month. Thank you for all the hard work to put this together. For the publicist's and authors that worked with us to put this together. It was wonderful.






Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Boston Girl: Book Review




The Boston Girl
by Anita Diamant

I read this a few weeks ago. I thought I posted, but realized I didn't.
Our book club read, The Boston Girl. I absolutely loved this one.
It is about feminism, Jewishness in the 1920's, and many more themes.

I have read a few novels by Anita Diamant. This one is her best, because it brings up social issues, and history for women in the 20th century. Just up my alley, history, women empowerment, etc.

 I think I liked it so much because it takes place in Boston. Where most of my family is from. There was so much I wanted to ask my grandparents about Boston when I was younger. The book seems to fill in the gaps of unanswered questions.

Since, I read this a few weeks ago. I can't remember everything. Instead I will give you a couple points about the novel.  This is a different type of narrative. Where the grandmother is telling the story about her life from her point of view. The Grand daughter is listening. You almost forget at times the book is told in the first person.
Ava, sweetheart, if you ask me to talk about how I got to be the woman, I am today, what do you think I'm going to say?
From the beginning of the novel, we learn about her family, Jewish immigrants. Betty, her sister the rebellious one. Celia, the soft spoken, and accident prone. Addie, between both of them.

They came to the US from Russia moving to the North End of Boston.  The unwillingness for immigrants to change their thinking. It was very difficult for  Ava, and her sisters of immigrant parents. Because, the children were influenced by the new american lifestyles of their American friends.

There is a part of history that I found was interesting. During the summers she would go to Rock Port, Mass, considered a vacation spot. In the early 20th Century, Rock port Lodge, was bought by many of the companies where the girls worked. The companies bought a hotel for their women workers that were not married. They were given a vacation to spend time in a hotel for $4.00 a day for clean sheets, and going to the beach etc.



Addie had to hide secrets from her family. Without her parent's knowledge she  would go to  meetings at the settlement house. Where she learned about suffrage. The people she met she became close, and became friends.She now had new influences and her horizons opened up with new experiences.  She  would get support from her friends. They were more supportive and mentor her, and give her guidance.  Where at home she was beaten down and put down constantly. She had a difficult relationship with her mother.

She learned about women empowerment,  such as going to college, women's rights, the right for women's to have an abortion.  She learned about clothing, and styles. Wearing "pants", which I found interesting in the novel. Women joining the work force, especially for women. How changes for women played a important part on the early 20th century.

The biggest thing in this book was adapting to changes. Don't let people tell you things are better in the old days. Because it was difficult for immigrants to accept change, and new ideas. 
I enjoyed reading Boston Girl. If you love reading about women empowerment. Pick up this book.
I give it 4 cups. Only because it is slow moving in the beginning and then picks up.
 
Imagination Designs
Images from the Glamor Amour by Irene Alexeeva