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Danit Brown
Pantheon Books, 2008. 320 pp. $22.95
ISBN: 978-0-375-42454-0

Reviewed by Michal Hoschander Malen

This series of intricately linked short stories speaks to the place of American Jews and Israeli expatriates in our society. A young girl moves with her Israeli mother and American Jewish father from Tel Aviv to Ann Arbor, Michigan and struggles to fit in while simultaneously remaining true to the self she left behind. As she matures, we follow her back to Israel and then back again to Michigan, a sort of Wandering Jew with roots in two places but unsure of how rooted she really is anywhere at all. The depth of the American Jewish connection to Israel is examined. Minor characters are treated to full chapters of their own, providing us with enriching back-story and adding texture to the main narrative. With the addition of a simple plot line or two, this interesting story collection could have been developed into a full-length novel. It is to be hoped that we will hear more from this promising author who has the potential to bring slightly offbeat characters to life and who understands something about family dynamics and (at least one small slice of) the American Jewish experience.





Michal Hoschander Malen is a librarian and editor of reference books.

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