The Romance Reader
Author: Pearl Abraham
First publication: 1995
Read edition: 6th edition
Published: 1997
Number of pages: 296 pages
Content:
Rachel Benjamin is the Rabbi’s oldest daughter, in a household of 7 children. Rachel is set to
be an example for her brothers and sisters and she and her sister Leah have to do a lot in
household like cleaning and babysitting. Her parents are very religious (Chassidic) and
Rachel isn’t allowed to do things like wearing sheer stockings without seams or reading
English books. Her mother doesn’t really like living in America and being a Rebbetzin (the
Rabbi’s wife). She and her husband have some tensions. When Rachel is 15 years old, her
mother goes to Israel for a couple weeks. At the same time, her father goes to Brazil to sell
the book he has written, so Rachel and Leah run the household. They take lifeguarding
classes, which their parents absolutely would have forbidden. When they come home and
found out, they at first forbid it, but lifeguarding gives extra money, so they accept. When
Rachel is 17 years old, the prospect of an arranged marriage draws nearer. Rachel doesn’t
want to marry so young, instead she wants to work a couple years and she doesn’t want to
marry a man she doesn’t know. But she realizes that when she is married, she could be free.
She meets two times with a young man called Israel. She doesn’t know if she is ever going to
love him, but she agrees to marry him, afraid of the next guy being worse than Israel. Israel
isn’t what she expected. He is very obedient and Rachels father tries to influence her through
him. Israel tries to have sex with Rachel, but he can’t. After almost 3 weeks of marriage
Rachel and Israel take the bus and Israel falls asleep. Rachel runs away and stays in a hotel
for 2 days. She is afraid and goes to her parents. She says she wants to divorce and they
agree. They think that Israel wasn’t the right man for Rachel. Rachel has for the first time in
her life the idea that she controls her own life.
Author:
Pearl Abraham was born in 1960 in Jerusalem. She was the third child in a family of nine.
Her father was a rabbi. When Pearl was five years old, she moved with her parents and
brothers and sisters to New York. After two years there, they returned to Israël. After a lot of
moves from New York to Israël (and back), they stayed in New York (she was twelve years
old). In the story, the father of the main character is a rabbi as well. She also grew up in a
chassidic community, it not such a strict one as in the novel. Even when the novel is based
on her own experiences, it isn’t autobiographic.
At the moment, she teaches creative writing at New York University. She is Master of Arts
and lives in Manhattan.
The setting of the story:
The story is set in the USA, in Ashley. I think the time is in the ‘80/’90 of last century, let’s say
present time. The novel starts when Rachel, the main character, is fourteen years old and
ends when she is a little older than eighteen. That is about four years.
Narrator and point of view:
First-person narration, from the “I” perspective?
“Rachel, you’re old enough not to lift your skirt up like that,” Ma says. “You’re old enough to
know better.”
“There’s no one here to see me,” I say.
“God always sees,” she says.
“God sees underneath my clothes too. He sees me naked.” (p.85)
Author: Pearl Abraham
First publication: 1995
Read edition: 6th edition
Published: 1997
Number of pages: 296 pages
Content:
Rachel Benjamin is the Rabbi’s oldest daughter, in a household of 7 children. Rachel is set to
be an example for her brothers and sisters and she and her sister Leah have to do a lot in
household like cleaning and babysitting. Her parents are very religious (Chassidic) and
Rachel isn’t allowed to do things like wearing sheer stockings without seams or reading
English books. Her mother doesn’t really like living in America and being a Rebbetzin (the
Rabbi’s wife). She and her husband have some tensions. When Rachel is 15 years old, her
mother goes to Israel for a couple weeks. At the same time, her father goes to Brazil to sell
the book he has written, so Rachel and Leah run the household. They take lifeguarding
classes, which their parents absolutely would have forbidden. When they come home and
found out, they at first forbid it, but lifeguarding gives extra money, so they accept. When
Rachel is 17 years old, the prospect of an arranged marriage draws nearer. Rachel doesn’t
want to marry so young, instead she wants to work a couple years and she doesn’t want to
marry a man she doesn’t know. But she realizes that when she is married, she could be free.
She meets two times with a young man called Israel. She doesn’t know if she is ever going to
love him, but she agrees to marry him, afraid of the next guy being worse than Israel. Israel
isn’t what she expected. He is very obedient and Rachels father tries to influence her through
him. Israel tries to have sex with Rachel, but he can’t. After almost 3 weeks of marriage
Rachel and Israel take the bus and Israel falls asleep. Rachel runs away and stays in a hotel
for 2 days. She is afraid and goes to her parents. She says she wants to divorce and they
agree. They think that Israel wasn’t the right man for Rachel. Rachel has for the first time in
her life the idea that she controls her own life.
Author:
Pearl Abraham was born in 1960 in Jerusalem. She was the third child in a family of nine.
Her father was a rabbi. When Pearl was five years old, she moved with her parents and
brothers and sisters to New York. After two years there, they returned to Israël. After a lot of
moves from New York to Israël (and back), they stayed in New York (she was twelve years
old). In the story, the father of the main character is a rabbi as well. She also grew up in a
chassidic community, it not such a strict one as in the novel. Even when the novel is based
on her own experiences, it isn’t autobiographic.
At the moment, she teaches creative writing at New York University. She is Master of Arts
and lives in Manhattan.
The setting of the story:
The story is set in the USA, in Ashley. I think the time is in the ‘80/’90 of last century, let’s say
present time. The novel starts when Rachel, the main character, is fourteen years old and
ends when she is a little older than eighteen. That is about four years.
Narrator and point of view:
First-person narration, from the “I” perspective?
“Rachel, you’re old enough not to lift your skirt up like that,” Ma says. “You’re old enough to
know better.”
“There’s no one here to see me,” I say.
“God always sees,” she says.
“God sees underneath my clothes too. He sees me naked.” (p.85)
