A Fragile Thread

Are you one of those Friday night novel lovers looking for a good realistic, but juicy story? A Fragile Thread is about multiple members of a family which are all slightly hanging, but end up tied together in a beautiful tapestry. This includes some shalom bayis trouble, financial pressure, shidduchim, high school, special needs and fertility issues spread throughout the various characters.

Judging the Book by its Cover -  a first glance review:

The cover is excellent. It has a house with a canvas of thin threads over it. The idea is that things are strained until the very last strand and are not quite staying together.

Some Details I Liked:

I loved the characters and the issues. It is always fun to be able to relate to characters, but in this book I could almost hear the characters speaking. There is one scene in a supermarket and it is described so well that I totally visualized it as I was reading.

Who This Book is For:

This book is great for someone looking for a modern day novel which mentions email scams and the “ayin hara lady” as details in the subplots. 

Who This Book Isn’t For:  

A few words of caution. This book definitely goes into detail about struggles between spouses. It also speaks about making the right life decisions with daas Torah’s approval. I personally thought both were great and written in very good taste, but I understand that not everyone would.

What I Didn’t Like/Would Have Made it Better: 

I felt a little sad for the parents and would have enjoyed reading more from their perspectives.

In Conclusion:  

A Fragile Thread is a splendid Yael Mermelstein novel and it was a pleasure to review it. 

Disclaimer:
I received this book for the purpose of reviewing it, but that it no way changed the way I read it and reviewed it.

Blood Brothers, a Cuban Adventure

Tired of the typical US novel? Blood Brothers is set in Cuba of the 1980's. It is the first of Esther Rapaport's Foreign Destinations series. 

Judging the Book by its Cover -  a first glance review:

I like when the cover accurately reflects the story within it. This cover does that very well. Obviously not every detail is there, but you can get a sense of the settling from the old buildings and vintage cars. There are also hints to the plot with the tube of blood, the cigar and the horses.

Some Details I Liked:

This is a smooth, realistic read with a little bit of a happily ever after, but still leaves you a little sad that life was so hard for so many not so long ago or far away.

Who This Book is For:

Although the main characters are boys, I think this book can be enjoyed by all. It has a lot of adventure, but also has plenty of emotion.

Who This Book Isn’t For:  

It's not called blood brothers for nothing. There are a few sort of gory parts, where injuries are described. Also it's a bit scary when referring to the Cuban Authorities.

What I Didn’t Like/Would Have Made it Better: 

I was a little disappointed with the ending. I won't spoil it here, but I will say that there are many ways to be a great person and sometimes being in a unique position can be greater than doing the norm.

In Conclusion:  

It was interesting to learn about Cuba and what families there and their relatives abroad went through. Very creative and well done.

Disclaimer:
I received this book for the purpose of reviewing it, but that it no way changed the way I read it and reviewed it.