by Grace Paley
First published 2000
In contemporary Israel, families navigate the crosscurrents of ancient hatreds and modern hopes. Savyon Liebrecht brings readers into homes where mothers worry about sons in the army, where neighbors who share recipes also share centuries of mistrust, where love affairs bloom across ethnic lines. Her characters face choices between loyalty and freedom, tradition and change. A woman questions her marriage when war reshapes her priorities. Children rebel against parents who survived trauma they cannot understand. Couples discover that intimacy cannot shield them from the larger conflicts that define their nation. These interconnected stories reveal how political tensions seep into kitchens and bedrooms, transforming private moments into battlegrounds. Liebrecht captures the small gestures of reconciliation that emerge from deep wounds, showing how ordinary people create meaning amid chaos.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-secrets, loyalty-vs-freedom
Setting: Israel
Period: Contemporary
240 pages · Kindle Edition · The Feminist Press at CUNY