secular books with positive portrayals of frum people!

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Secular books with positive portrayals of frum people!

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ceo

Wed, Nov 01 2006, 7:47 pm

The threads about pearl abraham and naomi reagan made me want to ask: has anyone read any secular books with POSITIVE portrayals of frum people in them?

"In The Image" by Dara Horn-- the author does show frum people in a positive light, for the most part. The book was a bit complicated to follow, and frum characters are only on the side of the story, but for the most part, frum people are shown in a positive light.

Ruchel

Wed, Nov 01 2006, 7:59 pm

Good thread!

I will have to come back to you though, I can't remember any title Surprised

gbmb

Wed, Nov 01 2006, 8:37 pm

I just read a book this past week by Tova Mirvis called "The Outside World" about the frum shidduch scene - it was really quite accurate. The book starts off well but then gets strange - take your chances! Also, the Faye Kellerman books about Det. Decker are quite positive. The books are mysteries and can get quite graphic so be warned! Finally, the books by Rochelle Krich are fantastic - she is a frum woman and her mysteries are great and her main character is learning to be frum and her emotions are very real.

DefyGravity

Wed, Nov 01 2006, 8:45 pm

I don't find Faye Kellerman books to be very positive at all. She portrays Jewish people as backward and naive (all except for Rina).

ceo

Wed, Nov 01 2006, 9:09 pm

Hmmnm, I didn't find the other book by Tova Mirvis (The Ladies Auxiallary) to be positive.
Also, Wendy Shalit, in her essay in the NY Times was not a fan of Tova Mirvis. Shalit said that Mirvis made the frum people to be hypocritical (ie- bringing a TV into their home hidden in an air conditioner box, a frum chosson and kallah making out on the porch after the l'chaim).

So I'll probably skip that one for now!

cutiesmom

Wed, Nov 01 2006, 9:27 pm

Quote:

a frum chosson and kallah making out on the porch after the l'chaim

Huh? To the best of my recollection, they almost held hands after the lchaim...his brother came outside when he was about to take her hand...and he stopped what he was about to do. I happen to think that this specific part of the book shows that frum people are human, though she did not give an overall good picture of frum people in this book (father is crazy and can't support the family vs. mo father holds down a job and is able to give the family what they want/need).

On a side note, as far as 'The Ladies Auxiliary' is concerned, I found it to be incredibly boring and slow.

ceo

Wed, Nov 01 2006, 9:59 pm

cutiesmom wrote:

Quote:

a frum chosson and kallah making out on the porch after the l'chaim

Huh? To the best of my recollection, they almost held hands after the lchaim...his brother came outside when he was about to take her hand...and he stopped what he was about to do. .

Oh, okay- I misunderstood what Shalit said in the article. I didn't read the book myself.

shanie5

Wed, Nov 01 2006, 10:12 pm

coming out this month is "strangers and neighbors" by maria poggi johnson.
she writes about how much she has learned by having orthodox jewish neighbors. and she is very positive about us.

tzipp

Wed, Nov 01 2006, 10:25 pm

Not about modern day Jews really, but a very well written, and a classic book- "Peony" by Pearl Buck. It's historical fiction about a a community of Jews in china. Very realistic, sad because it describes their assimilation. Has anyone else read this book? What did you think?

Chayary

Wed, Nov 01 2006, 11:28 pm

Cutiesmom said: [quote= though she did not give an overall good picture of frum people in this book (father is crazy and can't support the family vs. mo father holds down a job and is able to give the family what they want/need).
[/quote]

The way the above is worded you seem to be saying that the frum father is portrayed as crazy, so frum people get a bad rap, as OPPOSED to the MO guy, who is normal. I realize "frum" means different things to different people, but I had assumed this thread meant "frum"="orthodox",
I definitely agree that her portrayal of MO was more accurate and positive, whereas the other side was definitely more stereotypical and overgeneralized, I think that might be the author's background and definite bias showing. She actually didn't seem to know much of the "frum" world other than MO, and when she was asked (at a talk she gave at a book fair) how she researches for her books she said she doesn't really, just uses what she knows. So it's clear from the book which part of the frum world she is more comfortable with.

Mama Bear

Thu, Nov 02 2006, 12:57 am

rochelle krich[s books are great in this arena.

shabbatiscoming

Thu, Nov 02 2006, 4:31 am

I am very mixed about Tova Mirvis' books.

the lady's auxiliary was, to my mind, very exagerated and showed what a small town, or really any town, could do with lashon hara, that was what the book was about. it was very sad in my eyes. when one woman started to speculate and then talked to ther friends, well, it was a chane of lashon hara....

the outside world, she portrayed both sides, I think, with a bit of exageration. I kind of like the book, but then when she would prtray each side with a bit too much that was not really how they act, I was sure if was going to put the book down and not continue, but I did. it was one of those books that was weird in my mind, but I could not put it down.

DefyGravity

Thu, Nov 02 2006, 10:19 am

Oh, Tova Mirvis wrote The Ladies Auxiliary? First of all, I thought it was a stupid book, and didn't feel like it gave an accurate legitimate portrayal of an orthodox community.

ceo

Thu, Nov 02 2006, 11:53 am

right, like every other 12th grade girl from a frum home needs to "take a break from life" (quoting the book) and runs away with a non-Jew to California. Rolling Eyes

That part was REALLY not realistic.

(I am sure it happens, but not as often as you'd believe from reading this book)

And a modern orthodox mother has never heard of Cornell or Brown Universities? I don't believe that......

shabbatiscoming

Thu, Nov 02 2006, 12:33 pm

ceo wrote:

right, like every other 12th grade girl from a frum home needs to "take a break from life" (quoting the book) and runs away with a non-Jew to California. Rolling Eyes

what book is that from? running away to california?

chocolate moose

Thu, Nov 02 2006, 12:39 pm

Look, it's no secret that the world as a whole doesn't exactly look up to us...

Ruchel

Thu, Nov 02 2006, 2:05 pm

La Senora, by Catherine Clement, is a very nice biography of Gracia Nasi who was really frum http://www.mondo-marion.com/senora.html

Marion

Thu, Nov 02 2006, 2:26 pm

I also like the Faye Kellerman and Rochelle Krich books.

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