Reviews

The Book of Separation: A Memoir by Tova Mirvis

aurifela's review against another edition

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4.0

hard read for my heart. hits close to home. wish I had joy on the other side of freedom...

callywog's review against another edition

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LOVE this book! I could really relate to it as someone who left a different religion. 
One quote that I highlighted was “religion is designed to divide people; it’s not a search for truth but an exclusive club.” 
Another quote that brought me to tears “you’re allowed to change, even when it’s painful. You’re allowed to decide who you want to be.”

jamie_toomai's review against another edition

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5.0

Tova Mirvis speaks to me.

ewebrown's review against another edition

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4.0

The writing is wonderful, much improved from her previous work. I could relate to everything in this book - regarding religion. So well done.

cfrisch's review against another edition

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2.0

Probably better memoirs out there. The back and forth of time seemed unnecessary.

egoenner's review against another edition

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4.0

A little hard to rate this book, for me. Parts of it touched me deeply, since I can relate so closely to the pain of separation, leaving, losing what you hoped for. Even parts of the effect of Orthodoxy I could understand, interestingly, such as fighting the rules that had become the voices in her own head, and struggling with growing up "good" or "bad." On the other hand, sometimes there was just too much religion for this non believer.

craftyhilary's review against another edition

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3.0

I really tried to finish this, but it was kind of disjointed and didn’t hold my interest. Good, I think, just not for me.

elineedsmoreshelves's review against another edition

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4.0

This was a lovely and thoughtful memoir written about the time immediately following the author's divorce, and exodus from the orthodox Judaism that had been the faith she grew up with. As a person who has taken a religious exodus of sorts myself, much of her experience resonated with me. The idea of leaving behind what you have known to discover your own truth is a powerful one, and Mirvis writes about it with grace, all the while maintaining a deep respect for the people and faith she leaves behind. I found this to be a fantastic read - recommended.

shannon_scribbles's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective

5.0

xtinamariet's review against another edition

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4.0

A very honest, sad but ultimately hopeful story of one woman's path away from her marriage and her religious experience. I would have liked to heard more about her actual faith rather than just her observances of it.