Books Set All Over the World

Exile: Portraits of the Jewish Diaspora, by Annika Hernroth-Rothstein (2020)

Journalist, Annika Hernroth-Rothstein, grew up Jewish in Sweden where she encountered antisemitism at a young age.  Her family was not originally Swedish, and she looked different from blond-haired, blue-eyed classmates.  This later was the seed for her quest to explore how Jews managed to survive in other countries throughout the world.  In the course of a few years, the author traveled to several countries, including Cuba, Iran, Siberia, Venezuela and Morocco, to delve into the small Jewish communities.

The first stop in her book (although not necessarily her first stop chronologically) was the small island of Djerba off the coast of Tunisia.  There she found the Jewish community was thriving, albeit in a self-imposed ghetto.  The community kept to itself, and its non-Jewish neighbors left them alone.  In Iran, the Jewish community emphasized that the country’s constitution provided them the freedom to practice their religion, subject, however, to Sharia law and refrain from showing support for Israel.  Synagogues in Iran were unguarded, unlike synagogues in Europe and the United States.

The author observed vibrant Jewish communities in places where one would not think such a community would be possible.  In each country and community, she visited, she observed how local practices impacted the community.  In some places, such as Venezuela, the community was deeply traditional, but not necessarily religious.  Despite the horrors and poverty of the country, the Venezuelan Jews were a tight-knit community protecting and looking out for each other.

In discussion each country, the author also provided a brief history of how the Jews came to be in that particular country.  It was interesting to read of the Jews of Cuba and Cuba’s interaction with the United States from a Swedish perspective.  American’s view the Cuban Revolution very differently.

I found this to be a very fascinating look at Jews throughout the world.

4.5 Stars

Read: March 29, 2022

Books Set in Asia: Siberia, Russia and North America: New York, New York.

The Nesting Dolls, by Alina Adams (2020)

 

The Nesting Dolls focuses on three Jewish women: Daria (from 1931 to 1942), Natasha (from 1970 to 1991) and Zoe (1991).  Daria is Zoe’s great-grandmother, who was born in Russia and married the talented musician, Edward Gordon.  They and their two young daughters were sent to Siberia for a minor infraction during the Stalin years.  The janitor, Adam, of their building was also deported to Siberia.  He had a reputation for having reported on his mother for her infractions, thus was feared.  He ostensibly was being deported for not having reported Daria’s family to the authorities.  In Siberian village, however, he was granted better quarters than most if its occupants.  Adam would come to play a vital and integral role in saving Daria’s family.

 

We then skip a generation to Natasha, Daria’s granddaughter.  The family was now living in Odessa.  Natasha had a brilliant mind for mathematics and was hoping to attend the prestigious Odessa University.  Sadly, the quota for Jews was filled and Natasha was giving failing marks on her entrance exams.  She had to settle for a mediocre school and was then given a job teaching math to junior high students.  Her childhood friend, Boris, had always been in love with her, but she took him for granted.  One day she met Dima, a refusenik, who convinced her that she could be instrumental in letting the outside world know about the atrocities going on in Russia.  Natasha fell in love with Dima, and soon finds herself pregnant.  Her only way out was to marry Boris who, while being seemingly apolitical, was able to gain passage out of the USSR.

 

Finally, we meet Zoe, Natasha’s granddaughter.  She was born in America but bears the burdens and guilt imposed upon her by her grandmother and great-grandmother.  Like them, she, too, has two men in her life and must choose between what she believes is best for her family and what is best for herself.

 

Each of the three women are encased in each other’s lives, much like the nesting dolls that Russia is famous for.  Life does not always give you want you think you want, but it just might give you what you need.

 

I loved this novel.  I really felt the characters come alive.  I also loved how the author skipped a gereration and focused on the granddaughter and great-granddaughter of Daria, the initial character.

 

Read:  June 15, 2021

 

5 Stars