Hush by Eishes Chayil Publisher: Bloomsbury (September 14th, 2010) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardcover: 368 pages
Source: ARC from Publisher
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Inside the closed community of Borough Park, where most Chassidim live, the rules of life are very clear, determined by an ancient script written thousands of years before down to the last detail—and abuse has never been a part of it. But when thirteen-year-old Gittel learns of the abuse her best friend has suffered at the hands of her own family member, the adults in her community try to persuade Gittel, and themselves, that nothing happened. Forced to remain silent, Gittel begins to question everything she was raised to believe.
A richly detailed and nuanced book, one of both humor and depth, understanding and horror, this story explains a complex world that remains an echo of its past, and illuminates the conflict between yesterday's traditions and today's reality. Review: This is such a unique story and one that I will never be able to forget. Gittel, a member of a strict Chassidic group, is struggling with the memories of what happened to her friend Devory years before. Eishes Chayil (a pseudonym) paints the picture of a world that is mostly unknown to us, but seems so real. The descriptions of the daily lives of these individuals help the reader immerse themselves in this community. For these people, they are aware of their"roles" at a young age and it is not questioned.
Throughout this story we are educated on their rules and way of life. Gittel takes us on a journey through her childhood memories of her and Devory. The story jumps from her teenage years to her childhood almost ten years before.
Gittel grows up and gets married but is never able to forget what she witnessed; what caused her friends suicide. Although Gittel and Devory tried to tell the truth, no one listened. They were ignored and the members of the community tried to go on as if nothing happened. Devory was not able to deal with that and even years later, Gittel can't either.
This story is based on a tragic event but not all parts of the story are dark. It was interesting to learn more about Gittel and her personal journey. There were some parts of the story that I couldn't help but smile at. Gittel was truly a multi-dimensional character bursting at the seams due to her strong personality and refusal to give up.
HUSH brings a very difficult, but common, reality to the forefront. Sometimes families or communities attempt to hide the truth of something they know is going on. But nothing harmful can ever be forgotten and eventually most truths come out. The sad part is that for some, as it was for Devory, it was too late.
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