This debut novel, winner of the Orange Prize for fiction this year, is the story of Ronit Krushka, a 32 year old single woman and daughter of a British Orthodox rabbi. Wanting to escape the restrictive life of the Orthodox community and her relationship with her father Ronit moved to New York.
Away from home Ronit found the freedom to have affairs, be a successful career woman and just be without having to answer to anyone. For example, in one scene she confronts a young man who is handing out fliers for a talk about the Rabbi Kruska’s latest book. She challenges him on his religious beliefs. I found her aggressive yet liked her for speaking her mind.
A call from her cousin, Dovid, will soon have Ronit on a flight back to Hendon, England to attend her father’s funeral. All Ronit wants is to collect her mother’s Shabbat candlesticks and move on but as soon as she’s back in the community old gossip resurfaces and along with that insecurities and thoughts on faith and beliefs.
Ronit stays with Dovid, and his wife, with whom she shared her adolescence and secrets. Ronit’s short stay in Hedon shakes up Dovid’s and Esti’s marriage and the community. The author does a great job of presenting issues of people caught between the orthodox and secular worlds.
Despite Ronit being the main character, I actually was more interested in Dovid’s character and how he was being pushed into a position of responsibility. I was a bit let down with the end but overall I enjoyed the story.