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The Romance Reader
The Romance Reader
Author: Pearl Abraham
Rachel Benjamin is the daughter of a quixotic rabbi who dreams of building a synagogue in the secluded upstate New York bungalow colony where his family now lives. As the rabbi's eldest daughter, Rachel is expected to set an example for her five siblings and for the other girls in the community: she must wear thick opaque tights with seams; ...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9781573225489
ISBN-10: 1573225487
Publication Date: 9/1/1996
Pages: 304
Rating:
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 26

3.7 stars, based on 26 ratings
Publisher: Riverhead Trade
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed The Romance Reader on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Really fascinating book that gives you a look inside the secretive world of Hassidic Jews. Rachel Benjamin is a young girl who rebels against her family and her arranged marriage, wishing she could be more like a 'regular' American girl in New York.
reviewed The Romance Reader on + 7 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A Jewish girl has problems with her very strict feminist family. A really good book, difficult to put down, about a young romance novel reader's struggle against the pressure for her to change.
reviewed The Romance Reader on + 21 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I found this book a voyage into self awareness and questioning of who we are.Are we destined to be what our parents want us to be or can we escape?This book did give a glimpse of what life as a Hassidic Jew is like,For us non-Jews it may seem rather oppressive.I found it very interesting ,I personally love learning about cultures and traditions other than my own.
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reviewed The Romance Reader on + 20 more book reviews
Great book!
reviewed The Romance Reader on + 151 more book reviews
This book assumed some basic level of knowledge about Judaism and the greater NYC area. As a midwestern Christian, I was hoping for a glimpse into another world, but I was just kinda confused instead.

The book did seem to be well written, if you already had some inside knowledge. The phrase "spare prose" comes to mind.
buzzby avatar reviewed The Romance Reader on + 6062 more book reviews
"What Rachel wants is to wear sheer stockings, to swim in a bathing suit, to sing at the top of her voice and wander the world like men do. But as the eldest daughter of a Hasidic rabbi, she is expected to follow in her mother's footsteps; caring for the young ones, helping at home, submitting to an arranged marriage and shaving off her hair. The world of Orthodox Judaism is strictly controlled, and
Rachel can't quite imagine what life is like outside. But the forbidden paperback books that she secretly devours tell her of a world filled with daring, seductive men and sensuous, rebellious women. A world she yearns fo even as her wedding day draws near. A world that she's not even sure really exists....


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