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sarah_thebooknerd 's review for:
Unorthodox Love
by Heidi Shertok
challenging
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is the first time I have read a book about someone who is orthodox Jewish and some of the beliefs that come into the mix.
The FMC is in her late 20s and not married and that is uncommon in the community because most orthodox Jews are eager to get married in order to have kids. But Penina is infertile making her undesirable to possible marriage suitors. She desperately wants to be a mother but if she adopts a child that is not her blood relative there are rules against touching the opposite gender. She cannot have physical contact with the opposite gender outside of blood relatives and so it brings up a loneliness and desire to be touched and loved.
Penina's sister is about to lose her house and is facing having to move to Israel with her husband and family because they will lose the house and need to start over. Penina entertains marrying a gay man from the orthodox community in order for him to give his mother her dying wish for him to marry and have children. This will allow Penina to save her sister's house and allow them to stay. The only hiccup is that Penina is starting to have feelings for her boss, Sam who is a Secular Jew and does not know all the rules for the Orthodox community.
I really liked learning about a culture I really didn't know about. I have had many Jewish people in my life and even family but not orthodox Jews and that was really interesting. Penina is very much a helper and will put others before herself and she had a crossroads of her faith and wants at parts of the book. Heidi also really discusses the infertility and desires for children and where her faith may not work in her favor for it to happen.
I think I struggled with Penina being so focused on kids at times and just how much pressure is put on her to marry even if that will lead her to not have the one thing she wants children.
Thank you to Libro FM and publisher for an audio copy to read and review.
The FMC is in her late 20s and not married and that is uncommon in the community because most orthodox Jews are eager to get married in order to have kids. But Penina is infertile making her undesirable to possible marriage suitors. She desperately wants to be a mother but if she adopts a child that is not her blood relative there are rules against touching the opposite gender. She cannot have physical contact with the opposite gender outside of blood relatives and so it brings up a loneliness and desire to be touched and loved.
Penina's sister is about to lose her house and is facing having to move to Israel with her husband and family because they will lose the house and need to start over. Penina entertains marrying a gay man from the orthodox community in order for him to give his mother her dying wish for him to marry and have children. This will allow Penina to save her sister's house and allow them to stay. The only hiccup is that Penina is starting to have feelings for her boss, Sam who is a Secular Jew and does not know all the rules for the Orthodox community.
I really liked learning about a culture I really didn't know about. I have had many Jewish people in my life and even family but not orthodox Jews and that was really interesting. Penina is very much a helper and will put others before herself and she had a crossroads of her faith and wants at parts of the book. Heidi also really discusses the infertility and desires for children and where her faith may not work in her favor for it to happen.
I think I struggled with Penina being so focused on kids at times and just how much pressure is put on her to marry even if that will lead her to not have the one thing she wants children.
Thank you to Libro FM and publisher for an audio copy to read and review.