Old Jewish novels! Please join me...

4everdiet

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:18 am

amother [ Mocha ] wrote:

On that topic, does anyone think that Family Secrets contains mature content (emotionally) for young readers? My daughter is a voracious reader at 9, but I wouldn't have her read it. I was surprised when a friend of hers was encouraged to read it by her mother.

I think 9 is too young. Maybe an older teen.

amother

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:18 am

4everdiet wrote:

The Exiles of Crocodile Island. I probably read that a thousand times

Family Secrets by Sarah Birnhack

The Scent Of Snowflowers

Anything by Libby Lazewnik. Can’t remember the titles.

I disagree that the writing was poorer then. Some of the serialised stories in the Mishpacha are very well written, but I find that most novels published originally as such are not that great.

The Scent of Snowflowers is one of the best holocaust books ever published. I believe she wrote a sequel that was recently published.

LIBBY Lazevnick has been writing for longer than any contemporary author I can think of. (Maybe Sarah shapiro is also still writing.)

She wrote Give me the Moon, and the Judge, among others.

amother

Babyblue

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:18 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Anyone remember the Search for Miri and the sequel Between the Thorns?

Also, did anyone read The Lost Children of Tarshish or The Flight to Seven Swan Bay?
Both books (though very different) are stories about people who got stuck on an island and had to figure out how to manage until they were rescued.

Somewhat like Hatchet.

Of course! I've read all of them (including Hatchet Smile

)

I still have Seven Swan Bay, and one of the Tarshish books (although they have been reprinted).

Secret of Sambatyon is a different book, by the author of The Egyptian Star I think.

monseymom25

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:18 am

I loved the Scent of the Snowflowers!
What about Wildflower by Rachel Pomerantz.
I also liked The Four Seasons of Golda Mirel.
And I loved Growing With My Children by Sarah Shapiro.
Flashback by Gira Gordon was terrific!

amother

Mocha

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:19 am

amother [ Mocha ] wrote:

On that topic, does anyone think that Family Secrets contains mature content (emotionally) for young readers? Specifically, I am recalling the part about Mirel (?) and her courtship and marriage and relationship with her husband. My daughter is a voracious reader at 9, but I wouldn't have her read it. I was surprised when a friend of hers was encouraged to read it by her mother.

amother

Babyblue

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:20 am

monseymom25 wrote:

Four Seasons of Golda Mirel is recent. (Although it's a wonderful savored book!) I think Flashback is recent too.

But I LOVE LOVE LOVE Wildflower. I wish it would be reprinted! I have A Time to Rend, a Time to Sew in the reprint and have reread it dozens of times.

Also loved Growing with My Children.

peanutsmom

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:20 am

Wow!!! This was so much fun!!! We actually bought all of the historical fiction for my kids to read. All of the Marcus Lehman books (reprinted so kids want to read them more), Avner Gold books etc. My year old son did his book report on Dovid Meyer last year! I love that they are reading books we read when we were little.

Another one I remember is Daniel My Son. About a boy thats fostered by a family and then goes back to his mother. It was reallys sad.

I also remember reading books about adoption and questioning if I was adopted.... Now I can't remember which books made me wonder that.

Does anyone know the name of the book about a girl with a blended family. I can't think of the name.

amother

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:20 am

4everdiet wrote:

Was one of them a book on the Sambatyon?

No. Though there is a wonderful book called the Secret of the Sambatyon. I forget the author's name now but she also wrote The Cohens of Tzfat. Both great books.
Eta..sorry- actually they are not from the same author.

4everdiet

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:21 am

monseymom25 wrote:

This is bringing back such wonderful memories. What a reader I was. What was Flashback? I can’t seem to recall this one!

4everdiet

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:22 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

No. Though there is a wonderful book called the Secret of the Sambatyon. I forget the author's name now but she also wrote The Cohens of Tzfat. Both great books.

Was the Cohen’s of Tzefat a few short stories.

Why am I convinced that the quality of most of those books was better than today?

Was I just more innocent and naive?

amother

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:24 am

amother [ Mocha ] wrote:

I think that all of Sarah Birnhack's books are emotionally heavy and filled with angst. They do not have happy endings. I would pre-read them.
I loved Search my Heart, but it does have some language that would not pass for today's standards.

amother

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:25 am

amother [ Babyblue ] wrote:

Of course! I've read all of them (including Hatchet Smile

)

I still have Seven Swan Bay, and one of the Tarshish books (although they have been reprinted).

Secret of Sambatyon is a different book, by the author of The Egyptian Star I think.

The Egyptian star sounds familiar. What's it about?

amother

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:29 am

monseymom25 wrote:

Gita Gordon came on the scene much later.

I remember when she had her debut. She started of by writing short stories that got published in the Hamodia. This is circa 1998-99. She got better and better.

Her first novel was about 2 girls who traveled to South Africa from Europe to marry men. All 4 met on the train station.. Turned out that one of the men was disappointed in the bride, and one of the women was disappointed in the groom. So they switched and the two rejected people married each other. In the end, they were a blissfully happy couple, and the other couple was not so happy. It was a nice book.
I think Flashback was written much later.

amother

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:32 am

peanutsmom wrote:

Another one I remember is Daniel My Son. About a boy thats fostered by a family and then goes back to his mother. It was reallys sad.

I also remember reading books about adoption and questioning if I was adopted.... Now I can't remember which books made me wonder that.

Does anyone know the name of the book about a girl with a blended family. I can't think of the name.

Yes, Daniel my Son was written by either Ruthie Perlman or Ruth Benjamin. I think the latter. I mixed that up with Yesterday's child upthread.

The girl with the blended family, is that I can Call you Ima by Leah Fried?

#BestBubby

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:33 am

Ruthie Pearlman wrote "Daniel, My Son" about a family who has a long term foster child who chooses
to go back to his mother with bad results. I believe it is based on the author's real life experience.

Ruth Benjamin wrote "Yesterday's Child" about a Ba'al Teshuva who must investigate if he is a Mamzer
after learning that his mother was divorced when she married his father.

amother

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:34 am

#BestBubby wrote:

Anybody read "Family for Awhile" about a girl who is afraid to bond with her foster family?

Yes I remember that vaguely.
Who wrote it?

Anyone read any of chava Rosenberg books? As a teen, those were all the rage.

#BestBubby

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:34 am

These are not so famous but did anybody read the "Seder in Herlin" a collection of short Holocaust stories?

How about "Yoshko the Dumbell" - also a collection of short stories.