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naniwantstobeacat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
earthie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
I truly found this book both enlightening and sobering at once. It made me feel more connected to my feelings of today, as well as my relationship with my past - my intergenerational past filled with heartbreaking tragedy and resilient community.
This book put words to the things that I have been feeling and trying to not feel all at once. It made me feel a far-distant home and as I finish this book in the evening of Seattle, I wonder about those across the world waking as I say the evening shema.
This is a book I would recommend to everyone with the dad awareness that those whom most need to read it never will.
The audiobook I found to be phenomenal, but I could see how it would be difficult to physically read as I found myself drifting off at times in my own thoughts, including investigating name changes in my own family history.
I think the reviews that accuse the author of her bias and not understanding the placement of Jews from an intersectional perspective are being overly critical of a piece of literature in a way that, ironically, would not (and has not) been done by writers of other identities. See, Barbara Smith literally stating that she is an antisemite in "Yours in Struggle" (though then going on to praise Jewish feminism's position: supporting Israel & criticizing it's government publicly and loudly). Horn does, in fact, ignore some aspects of intersectionality -- but this is a book of short essays, not a place where one can have nuance for every single point of argument. To address every single potential point or counter-argument would result not in a book of short essays, but a Talmudic conversation of conversations -- perhaps one we should have, but with respect for one another and a base understanding that no one is supportive of killing children (which Horn also addresses this point, in how she must caveat anything she says to ensure folk do not assume her evil while others are given the benefit of the doubt in not being evil).
The argument that whiteness is ignored, I would partially agree on -- in the sense that Horn does not go out of her way to discuss race (even when talking about Chinese Jews). She focuses more on the religious aspect of Judaism and physical markers of the religion, rather than physically unchangeable markers of Judaism - what some of the critics would consider as a stereotypical Long Island Jew who benefits from certain privileges based on being white-passing, versus the Ethiopian Jews and other MENA Jews that the author talks about, who I would guess would not benefit from that same white privilege the critics so gracefully blanket all Jews with. And lastly, if your critique of this book includes your inability to even finish a book (or get more than a chapter in) before leaving a review calling the author a dirty Zionist, you might want to take a look at a mirror about your own antisemitic beliefs and try to comprehend the views and points of others without aligning every piece of media you read with whatever single hot-button issue it is that today is disturbing.
I went to the comments section filled with dread and was met with sorrow from both those failing to see the point and from those seeing the point and feeling the same communal sadness.
This book put words to the things that I have been feeling and trying to not feel all at once. It made me feel a far-distant home and as I finish this book in the evening of Seattle, I wonder about those across the world waking as I say the evening shema.
This is a book I would recommend to everyone with the dad awareness that those whom most need to read it never will.
The audiobook I found to be phenomenal, but I could see how it would be difficult to physically read as I found myself drifting off at times in my own thoughts, including investigating name changes in my own family history.
I think the reviews that accuse the author of her bias and not understanding the placement of Jews from an intersectional perspective are being overly critical of a piece of literature in a way that, ironically, would not (and has not) been done by writers of other identities. See, Barbara Smith literally stating that she is an antisemite in "Yours in Struggle" (though then going on to praise Jewish feminism's position: supporting Israel & criticizing it's government publicly and loudly). Horn does, in fact, ignore some aspects of intersectionality -- but this is a book of short essays, not a place where one can have nuance for every single point of argument. To address every single potential point or counter-argument would result not in a book of short essays, but a Talmudic conversation of conversations -- perhaps one we should have, but with respect for one another and a base understanding that no one is supportive of killing children (which Horn also addresses this point, in how she must caveat anything she says to ensure folk do not assume her evil while others are given the benefit of the doubt in not being evil).
The argument that whiteness is ignored, I would partially agree on -- in the sense that Horn does not go out of her way to discuss race (even when talking about Chinese Jews). She focuses more on the religious aspect of Judaism and physical markers of the religion, rather than physically unchangeable markers of Judaism - what some of the critics would consider as a stereotypical Long Island Jew who benefits from certain privileges based on being white-passing, versus the Ethiopian Jews and other MENA Jews that the author talks about, who I would guess would not benefit from that same white privilege the critics so gracefully blanket all Jews with. And lastly, if your critique of this book includes your inability to even finish a book (or get more than a chapter in) before leaving a review calling the author a dirty Zionist, you might want to take a look at a mirror about your own antisemitic beliefs and try to comprehend the views and points of others without aligning every piece of media you read with whatever single hot-button issue it is that today is disturbing.
I went to the comments section filled with dread and was met with sorrow from both those failing to see the point and from those seeing the point and feeling the same communal sadness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Genocide, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Xenophobia, Murder, Gaslighting, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Physical abuse, Torture, Trafficking, Child death, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Deportation, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Mass/school shootings, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, War, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Suicide and Excrement
willowsfair's review
Others have pointed out the author's incredibly grating failure to prove her points, as blinded by a bitter, martyr-like zionism as she unfortunately is. I tried, and failed to find a reason to read thru more than the first few pages. My goal was to make up my own mind. I did. There are much better, more realistic and scholarly works on the Jewish state of affairs than this, never mind Jewish history. Her acerbic tone bleaches the narrative into the whited supulchres that she claims dominate the telling of the history of Jewish people.
I felt deeply for the little girl who wanted to learn about time, and found it when visiting ancient lands. But I can't walk away fast enough from the adult she became. Bless her heart.
I felt deeply for the little girl who wanted to learn about time, and found it when visiting ancient lands. But I can't walk away fast enough from the adult she became. Bless her heart.
bookishbrenbren's review
Plz read this review which is just way smarter than anything I could say
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/b980a555-e890-4176-852f-4921b6fafb3c
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/b980a555-e890-4176-852f-4921b6fafb3c
alees's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
4.0
Incredibly smart, thoughtful, and important. And also rambling.
"I had mistaken the enormous public interest in past Jewish suffering for a sign of respect for living Jews. I was very wrong."
"One cannot be true to the human existence while pretending to make sense of the world."
"I had mistaken the enormous public interest in past Jewish suffering for a sign of respect for living Jews. I was very wrong."
"One cannot be true to the human existence while pretending to make sense of the world."
youngthespian42's review against another edition
5.0
This book is devastating and haunting. I had to read it one chapter a day because I was so tired and overwhelmed with how the author portrays her people’s collective history and struggle. She slices into America notions of “doing the right thing” by the Jewish people with medical precision.
The true history of Anne Frank, Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof, and Shylock from Merchant of Venice are not spared by Horn as she exposed the stories we tell ourselves about Dead Jews to feel better about ourselves. It ends as she explain Yiddish literary tradition ends: without closure, a call to action, or feel good moment. Read this book.
The true history of Anne Frank, Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof, and Shylock from Merchant of Venice are not spared by Horn as she exposed the stories we tell ourselves about Dead Jews to feel better about ourselves. It ends as she explain Yiddish literary tradition ends: without closure, a call to action, or feel good moment. Read this book.