The Ladies Auxiliary (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
by Tova Mirvis
List Price:
Our Price: $3.24
You Save: $11.76 (78%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Tova MirvisEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2000-09-05
ISBN: 0345441265
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Book Reviews of The Ladies Auxiliary (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
Book Review: Life among Southern Jews
Summary: 5 Stars
This was truly a memorable read made all the more so since a few weeks after reading this book, I listened to the author speak about this book in person.Like the characters from The Ladies Auxiliaryairy, Tova Mirvis was raised in the Orthodox community of Memphis, Tennessee. And like some of the younger characters from this book, the reader wonders how much Ms. Mirvis questions the way she was raised among Orthodox Jews and their strict compliance to their religion.
The Ladies Auxiliary opens as the women of a suburban Memphis community prepare for the Sabbath or Shabbat, the holiest of days among Jews the world over. Into their midst, arrives Batsheva, a new neighbor. For this is no ordinary new arrival, but the young widow of a former resident of the communtity who comes with a daughter. As if that doesn't set them apart enough, Batsheva is also a convert. Almost from the beginning Batsheva seems different than the other women. It is almost as if she forgets everything they hold in high regard. How can a young woman question what the Laws of Moses and study of Torah (which only the men can do)has taught these women? Batsheva sets herself apart from the religious women and this community in the manner of her dress, compliance to certain household traditions and her attitude towards the other women. But worst of all, Bartsheva goes so far as to question rituals in the synagogue and a woman's right to participate in services. What Batsheva fails to realize is that in her own way she's having an effect on some of the congregation particularly the young Orthodox women she teaches. More importantly, the Rabbis son home from his Rabbinical studies for the summer, spends way too much time talking to Batsheva. Its only a matter of time before he also begins to question these religious ways, his interest in becoming a Rabbi and his ability to faithfully lead a congregation. And what the ladies of the auxiliary gradually suspected about Batsheva is happening before their eyes. Not only is Batsheva questioning their ways but somehow beginning to change their children and even themselves. And they cannot allow this to continue. Finally, how Batsheva with her visions of growth and change, and the ladies auxiliary with their time honored traditions will finally come to terms with each other is the stunning climax of this book. This is the first book by an author who certainly knows her material first hand and gives life to her characters. The ladies of this community are microcosms of many women each of us may know. They interfere, they're concerned, they tell tales, they mean well while they hurt other women, they want to eat foods which their religion forbids, they're funny, overwhelmed by their husbands and children, witty and humorous, repressed and sometimes sad. You can laugh at them, nod you're head in agreement with them or astonishment at their views, you may even know them or you may even be them. But you will never forget them or Batsheva. For it is the ladies of the auxiliary and Batsheva who form the very fabric and importance of this book. And the real strength of Tova Mirvis' book is in her portrayal of Batsheva, a wowan who forces the women and men of this community to hold up a mirror to themselves and question what they truly believe is important to them.
In the tradition of The Chosen and The Promise by Chaim Potok, Tova Mirvis allows her readers to enter the world of Orthodox Jews living and worshipping in a Southern communtiy. And it is a world we know much better after reading The Ladies Auxilary. Nwo I look forward to reading more titles by her in the future. Shalom!
Summary of The Ladies Auxiliary (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
When free-spirited Batsheva moves into the close-knit Orthodox community of Memphis, Tennessee, the already precarious relationship between the Ladies Auxiliary and their teenage daughters is shaken to the core. In this extraordinary novel, Tova Mirvis takes us into the fascinating and insular world of the Memphis Orthodox Jews, one ripe with tradition and contradiction. Warm and wise, enchanting and funny, The Ladies Auxiliary brilliantly illuminates the timeless struggle between mothers and daughters, family and self, religious freedom and personal revelation, honoring the past and facing the future. An unforgettable story of uncommon atmosphere, profound insight, and winning humor, The Ladies Auxiliary is a triumphant work of fiction.Comic Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Comic Books
Plum Lucky (Stephanie Plum: Between the Numbers)by Janet Evanovich
St. Martin's Press; Published: 2008-01-08; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.01
Price in other shops:
Lean Mean Thirteen (Stephanie Plum, No. 13) (Stephanie Plum Novels)by Janet Evanovich
St. Martin's Press; Published: 2008-06-17; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.99
Price in other shops:
The Oxford Bookworms Library: Stage 4: 1,400 Headwords Three Men in a Boatby Jerome K. Jerome, Tricia Hedge
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2000-08-17; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.95
Nine Kinds of Nakedby Tony Vigorito
Mariner Books; Published: 2008-10-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.50
Price in other shops:
The Fourth Bear: A Nursery Crimeby Jasper Fforde
Penguin Audio; Published: 2006-08-03; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $11.99
Price in other shops:
The Late Mr. Shakespeareby Robert Nye
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2000-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.50
Price in other shops:
The Other Side of the Story: A Novelby Marian Keyes
William Morrow Paperbacks; Published: 2006-04-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.04
Price in other shops:
Guards! Guards!by Terry Pratchett
HarperTorch; Published: 2001-07-31; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.74
Price in other shops:
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson)by Louise Rennison
HarperTeen; Published: 2000-05-31; Library Binding; Book
Best price: $15.33
Price in other shops:
Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants: Even Further Confessions of Georgia Nicolsonby Louise Rennison
HarperTeen; Published: 2003-03-04; Library Binding; Book
Best price: $1.25
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Jerusalem Maiden: A Novelby Talia Carner
William Morrow Paperbacks; Published: 2011-05-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.65
Price in other shops:
The Heart of the Qur'an: An Introduction to Islamic Spiritualityby Lex Hixon
Quest Books; Published: 2003-09-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.90
Price in other shops:
A Vintage Affair: A Novelby Isabel Wolff
Bantam; Published: 2011-04-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.00
Price in other shops:
The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: A Jewish Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World (P.S.)by Lucette Lagnado
Harper Perennial; Published: 2008-07-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.24
Price in other shops:
Women's Minyanby Naomi Ragen
Toby Press; Published: 2006-03-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.44
Price in other shops:
Sotahby Naomi Ragen
St. Martin's Griffin; Published: 2009-09-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.00
Price in other shops:
My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faithby Benyamin Cohen
HarperOne; Published: 2009-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.65
Price in other shops:
Sima's Undergarments for Women: A Novelby Ilana Stanger-Ross
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2010-05-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.42
Price in other shops:
Seven Blessings: A Novelby Ruchama King
St. Martin's Griffin; Published: 2004-11-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.99
Price in other shops:
The Outside Worldby Tova Mirvis
Vintage; Published: 2005-05-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.54
Price in other shops: