Abraham, Pearl The Romance Reader ISBN 13: 9781573220156

The Romance Reader - Hardcover

9781573220156: The Romance Reader
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 
Hemmed in by the strict codes of her Orthodox Jewish upbringing, the daughter of a rabbi escapes to the world of romance novels and begins to chafe at her family and her faith. A first novel. Lit Guild Feat Alt.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:
Pearl Abraham is the author of the novels The Romance Reader and Giving Up America, and the editor of the Dutch anthology Een Sterke Vrouw: Jewish Heroines in Literature. Her work has appeared in Brooklyn Noir, The Michigan Quarterly, Religion in America, Dog Culture: Writers on the Character of Canines, and Forward.
From Publishers Weekly:
Abraham shows strong talent in her debut novel, the story of a young girl's coming-of-age in an ultraorthodox Hasidic home. The reader soon cares deeply about narrator Rachel, the eldest of six children, who yearns for some of the forbidden fruits of the secular world. Her rebbe father is another endearing character; he dreams of establishing a major synagogue and learning center even while he desperately looks for a 10th man for a minyan for his sparse congregation. Most of the story takes place in a suburban community that receives an influx of Hasidim in the summer months; for the rest of the year, the rebbe's family is the neighborhood curiosity. Rachel is a dutiful child who tries hard to please her mother, an angry woman who belittles her husband's dreams and wants to be part of one of Brooklyn's larger Hasidic enclaves. Rachel's glimpses of the larger world come from casual and often uncomfortable encounters with non-Jews and secular Jews in her town, but especially from romance novels, which she reads secretly. Her seemingly flagrant behavior (she refuses to wear seamed, opaque stockings, opting instead for seamless, and will not wear a cover-up over her bathing suit while teaching young girls to swim) brings shame to her family and endangers a marital opportunity for her brilliant younger brother. Despite her resolve to establish a more independent life, Rachel agrees to an arranged marriage, both to make her family happy and as a first step toward a new existence. When this match goes awry, Rachel's solution is both funny and bittersweet. Abraham's intense, sensitive prose and her ability to create vivid scenes and memorable characters augment this authentic, often disturbing, look at Hasidic home life and beliefs. Literary Guild featured alternate; author tour. (Aug.).
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherRiverhead Books
  • Publication date1995
  • ISBN 10 1573220159
  • ISBN 13 9781573220156
  • BindingHardcover
  • Edition number1
  • Number of pages296
  • Rating

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9781573225489: The Romance Reader

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9781573225489
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group, 1996
Softcover

9780704380394: The Romance Reader

Quarte...
Softcover

9780704380059: Romance Reader

Interl..., 1996
Softcover

9780606240154: The Romance Reader

Demco ...
Softcover

9781573225700: Romance Reader:nove6c

Riverh..., 1996
Softcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Stock Image

Abraham, Pearl
Published by Riverhead Books (1995)
ISBN 10: 1573220159 ISBN 13: 9781573220156
New Hardcover First Edition Quantity: 1
Seller:
BooksByLisa
(Highland Park, IL, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Dust Jacket Condition: New. 1st Edition. Seller Inventory # ABE-1701050260821

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 22.00
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Abraham, Pearl
Published by Riverhead Books (1995)
ISBN 10: 1573220159 ISBN 13: 9781573220156
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldenWavesOfBooks
(Fayetteville, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_1573220159

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 38.73
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.00
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Abraham, Pearl
Published by Riverhead Books (1995)
ISBN 10: 1573220159 ISBN 13: 9781573220156
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Books Unplugged
(Amherst, NY, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. Buy with confidence! Book is in new, never-used condition. Seller Inventory # bk1573220159xvz189zvxnew

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 43.51
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Abraham, Pearl
Published by Riverhead Books (1995)
ISBN 10: 1573220159 ISBN 13: 9781573220156
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Book Deals
(Tucson, AZ, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published. Seller Inventory # 353-1573220159-new

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 43.51
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Abraham, Pearl
Published by Riverhead Books (1995)
ISBN 10: 1573220159 ISBN 13: 9781573220156
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Wizard Books
(Long Beach, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard1573220159

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 41.05
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.50
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Abraham, Pearl
Published by Riverhead Books (1995)
ISBN 10: 1573220159 ISBN 13: 9781573220156
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldBooks
(Austin, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think1573220159

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 51.46
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.25
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Abraham, Pearl
Published by Riverhead Books (1995)
ISBN 10: 1573220159 ISBN 13: 9781573220156
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Front Cover Books
(Denver, CO, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # FrontCover1573220159

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 54.48
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.30
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Abraham, Pearl
Published by Riverhead Books (1995)
ISBN 10: 1573220159 ISBN 13: 9781573220156
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
The Book Spot
(Sioux Falls, SD, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # Abebooks447798

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 59.00
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Abraham, Pearl
Published by Riverhead Books (1995)
ISBN 10: 1573220159 ISBN 13: 9781573220156
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
BennettBooksLtd
(LOS ANGELES, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! 1.1. Seller Inventory # Q-1573220159

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 58.06
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.94
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds