Lost in the Story

It was the following self-description that made me fall in love with my 11th grade AP US History teacher: voracious reader. Though surrounded by a family of serious readers, I had never heard anyone describe him-or-herself in such a way. It resonated with me and ever since, I think of Ms. B whenever I use the term to describe myself.

For the second year in a row, I have the honour of participating in the Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour, sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries. I enjoyed the experience tremendously last year and learned a great deal from it.

In preparation for this year, I set aside some time to read the book so that I would be able to ask the author good questions. Which, in this case, will be conducted through the author’s agent as the author is anonymous. The book? Hush.

This is not a review. I’m not ready to write about it. I’m still processing. What I can tell you is that the character development is reason enough to read the book. There is measurable growth in the characters, which is refreshing to see. Though the story is one of an unimaginable betrayal and the setting is an Ultra Orthodox community, I did not get the impression that the author is writing this as a revenge story. She leaves the reader with the impression that there is much to love about living an observant life. Even in the midst of tragedy.