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A review by sr_toliver
Hush by Eishes Chayil, Judy Brown
5.0
In the author's note, Chayil states the following:
"We built walls, and built them high. The walls would keep the gentiles and their terrifying world far away. The walls would protect us and shelter us—and as we built them higher, thicker, wider, we forgot to look inside. We forgot that the greatest enemies always grow from within" (p. 342).
This quote adequately sums up the premise of this book because it discusses how the borders and restrictions created by communities to protect themselves can sometimes be the blockade that hurts certain members within that community. They are supposed to be protected from the others, but who is supposed to protect them from themselves?
In the first part of the novel, the main character, Gittel, switches between 1999-2000 to 2008. The chapters that focus on 1999-2000 show Gittel as a young ultra-Orthodox Jewish girl in New Jersey. The reader becomes acquainted with the traditions, the customs, and the rules of the community and sees how an often confused Gittel conforms to and rebels against certain established practices. Her best friend, Devory, is a major player in this section as her best friend, a girl who was born on the same day that she was, making them honorary twins although they look nothing alike.
All is normal until Devory begins to act out at home and at school. She runs away; she talks back to her parents; she refuses to cooperate at school; she absent-mindedly forgets basic requirements, like wearing shoes. On top of her misbehavior, she begins talking about death and participating in reckless endeavors. Eventually, Gittel finds out why, but she remains silent. Sadly, Gittel continues her silence and the adults ignore Devory's cries for help until it's too late. The sections that focus on 2008 and beyond show the aftermath and inner turmoil that results from the silence, a turmoil that eventually forces Gittel to speak out before she drives herself crazy.
I can't lie and say that this was a fun book to read because of the intense material and the sadness that pervades much of the novel, but I will say that it is a book worth reading (I read it in less than a day). The author mentions that although this is a fictional story, this text was based on real events, events that are kept in secret for fear of ruining the reputation of others unnecessarily. Specifically, she states that "it is a story told through the eyes of children, those who need to learn to understand how and why it happened to them, and those who need to find a way to survive it" (345).
Additionally, there were parts in the book that frustrated me because I couldn't believe how they would think that every non-Jewish person was evil (Gittel goes back and forth with this concept because of her Gentile neighbor isn't evil), that they didn't know what sex was until they were adults (Gittel finds out soon after her engagement at 18), and that everything from internet to television were restricted to ensure that the children's minds weren't tainted with evil worldly things. But after reading further, I realized that there were certain beliefs that my parents held that others didn't. I remembered that I looked at a group differently because I didn't agree with how they did certain things. This book really made me check myself!
Before reading this novel, I never thought to think of the cultural differences within a community that exists less than eight hours away from where I was raised. I think about diversity and cultural difference, but this was a new aspect of it that I've never explored. I don't focus on religious communities, but this book really made me think about religious difference. It showed me just how much the society and various religions within the society can shape and restrain our personal identities.
"We built walls, and built them high. The walls would keep the gentiles and their terrifying world far away. The walls would protect us and shelter us—and as we built them higher, thicker, wider, we forgot to look inside. We forgot that the greatest enemies always grow from within" (p. 342).
This quote adequately sums up the premise of this book because it discusses how the borders and restrictions created by communities to protect themselves can sometimes be the blockade that hurts certain members within that community. They are supposed to be protected from the others, but who is supposed to protect them from themselves?
In the first part of the novel, the main character, Gittel, switches between 1999-2000 to 2008. The chapters that focus on 1999-2000 show Gittel as a young ultra-Orthodox Jewish girl in New Jersey. The reader becomes acquainted with the traditions, the customs, and the rules of the community and sees how an often confused Gittel conforms to and rebels against certain established practices. Her best friend, Devory, is a major player in this section as her best friend, a girl who was born on the same day that she was, making them honorary twins although they look nothing alike.
All is normal until Devory begins to act out at home and at school. She runs away; she talks back to her parents; she refuses to cooperate at school; she absent-mindedly forgets basic requirements, like wearing shoes. On top of her misbehavior, she begins talking about death and participating in reckless endeavors. Eventually, Gittel finds out why, but she remains silent. Sadly, Gittel continues her silence and the adults ignore Devory's cries for help until it's too late. The sections that focus on 2008 and beyond show the aftermath and inner turmoil that results from the silence, a turmoil that eventually forces Gittel to speak out before she drives herself crazy.
I can't lie and say that this was a fun book to read because of the intense material and the sadness that pervades much of the novel, but I will say that it is a book worth reading (I read it in less than a day). The author mentions that although this is a fictional story, this text was based on real events, events that are kept in secret for fear of ruining the reputation of others unnecessarily. Specifically, she states that "it is a story told through the eyes of children, those who need to learn to understand how and why it happened to them, and those who need to find a way to survive it" (345).
Additionally, there were parts in the book that frustrated me because I couldn't believe how they would think that every non-Jewish person was evil (Gittel goes back and forth with this concept because of her Gentile neighbor isn't evil), that they didn't know what sex was until they were adults (Gittel finds out soon after her engagement at 18), and that everything from internet to television were restricted to ensure that the children's minds weren't tainted with evil worldly things. But after reading further, I realized that there were certain beliefs that my parents held that others didn't. I remembered that I looked at a group differently because I didn't agree with how they did certain things. This book really made me check myself!
Before reading this novel, I never thought to think of the cultural differences within a community that exists less than eight hours away from where I was raised. I think about diversity and cultural difference, but this was a new aspect of it that I've never explored. I don't focus on religious communities, but this book really made me think about religious difference. It showed me just how much the society and various religions within the society can shape and restrain our personal identities.