In today’s polarized world, people are often talked about as “them” or “those people,” pejorative terms to say the least. In “One of Them,” author Kitty Zeldis takes that phrase, those words, and exposes the microaggressions, the ignorance, the prejudice behind them. There are two main characters whom we meet as they both attend Vassar College. While both are Jewish and from wealthy families, their approach to life is very different.
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Missed opportunities, mistakes, and misunderstandings all combine with marvelous characters, interesting historical context, and a bit of magic to create a novel that takes us from 1922 to 1988, through the eyes of the two main characters. Titular character Augusta Stern, whose nickname Goldie was used only by her beloved Aunt Esther and her childhood friend Irving, has finally retired from her job as a hospital pharmacist. Augusta grew up in New York, has worked there for her whole life, and had no desire to retire.
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Adam Gidwitz is a much loved children’s author whose fabulous tales have taken readers young and old from Grimm’s fairy tales (“A Tale Dark and Grimm“) to the Inquisition (“The Inquisitor’s Tale“) and now to WWII in “Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II.” This historical fiction also contains Gidwitz’s trademark fantasy twist with two mythical creatures who accompany main character Max as he travels from Berlin to London as part of the Kindertransport, which took Jewish children from Germany to countries where they stayed in foster homes until the end of the war.
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James McBride’s backstory–his mother was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home and his father was a Black minister–makes his new novel, “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store” an authentic historical fiction that showcases the outcast communities of Blacks and Jews in the rural American Midwest. There are, in fact, many, many characters in this complex story wherein we see reflections of the present in a memorable tale of good and evil. We do see that in the long run, good mostly triumphs over evil. But we also see that while much has changed since the early part of the last century, when this novel is set, and while we think of ourselves and our modern technology, not enough has really changed. And McBride makes that abundantly clear with his vivid prose and his lovely metaphor.
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“Kissing Kosher” is a Romeo and Juliet-type romance, but in Jean Meltzer’s seasoned hands, it’s much more. Meltzer is passionate about educating as many readers as she can about chronic illness and chronic pain. It seems a strange match for a romance, but we see how important it is for someone with chronic pain to find an understanding partner. And perhaps, true love conquers all? Including chronic illness and pain? In this novel, it feels as if Meltzer has shared more than usual about her inner feelings regarding the daily grind of living with chronic pain and its effect on career and personal relationships.
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Fans of Pam Jenoff know that her historical fiction titles are enthralling, with admirable sympathetic characters, and based on real incidents. “Code Name Sapphire” features three such women whose bravery, determination, and strength are fully tested during the harsh and cruel Nazi rule in WWII.
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In her second novel, Jean Meltzer continues writing about something she’s rather an expert on: Jewish life. “Mr. Perfect on Paper” is a charming tale of finding love where you least expect it, and while it’s a romance, it’s also a glimpse into the lives of people who are struggling, but keep their struggles private. Her delightful main character, Dara Rabinowitz, is ridden with self-doubt, suffers from GAD, general anxiety disorder, and is very candid about it. Because of her disorder, Dara prefers to live life close to her bubbe, Miriam, spending time with her and otherwise working from home while running her extremely successful and lucrative business, a Jewish dating app called J-Mate. Her mother died, and Dara is also close to her sometimes-pushy sister.
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