Inside the closed community of Borough Park, where most Chassidim live, the rules of life are very clear, determined by an ancient script written ...
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reviews
Jul 01, 2011
Kaethe
rated it: 
This is a great big old mess, but I'm going to go ahead and post it anyway.
It's going to take me a while to sort through all my thoughts about this one. first thing: wow, great job with writing about children who are childish, and easily distracted by shiny things; and also writing about teen agers and newly weds and old marrieds and making them all sound right.
About halfway through the book I was so gutted I didn't know if I could continue.
Great job describing a More...
It's going to take me a while to sort through all my thoughts about this one. first thing: wow, great job with writing about children who are childish, and easily distracted by shiny things; and also writing about teen agers and newly weds and old marrieds and making them all sound right.
About halfway through the book I was so gutted I didn't know if I could continue.
Great job describing a More...
Jan 11, 2012
Emilie
rated it: 
the chassidic community in the book (like most people) don't want to see or know the truth about devory. when her mad behavior forces them to notice her, they do not ask, what is happening with this girl? instead, they ask, what is wrong with this girl. they tell themselves it's not happening or we can make it go away if we stay silent. they tell themselves that they suffered pain and assume hers must be the same pain and they justify not trying to understand her by condemning her expressions of
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Jan 17, 2012
Katie
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Hush is a rich and gritty novel about the effects of keeping secrets in a Chassidic community.
Through flashbacks and present day reflections readers get a glimpse of the ripple effect of sexual abuse and suicide within the Chassidic community. The author is unapologetic in the description of the abuse and the criticism of a people who would rather hide such travesties than disgrace a family name. However, through the every day life of the main character we also see the richness of the More...
Through flashbacks and present day reflections readers get a glimpse of the ripple effect of sexual abuse and suicide within the Chassidic community. The author is unapologetic in the description of the abuse and the criticism of a people who would rather hide such travesties than disgrace a family name. However, through the every day life of the main character we also see the richness of the More...
Nov 17, 2011
Ann
rated it:
This was a hard story to read, and it must have been a hard story to write – but I applaud the author for doing so, especially as is is her religion she was decrying. Sexual abuse happens everywhere, but it seems to proliferate in small, closed-in communities, because no one is informed, no help is allowed from outside – and no one talks about it. And breaking the taboo of silence is so hard for anyone in those communities – forget peer pressure, when the whole community is against you, it is a
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Nov 10, 2011
Cornmaven
rated it:
An interesting expose of the insular world of Hasidic Judaism (I'll use the gentile spelling). Written with a pseudonym, the author takes great pains, I think, to prove that she knows what she is talking about in terms of how ultra-orthodox Jewish communities operate. And therein lies the rub. I think it is quite OK to provide enough detail for non-Jews to understand the mindset. I have a particular affinity for Judaism in most of its forms, and read a lot of novels focusing on the faith. I
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Aug 15, 2011
Jean
rated it:
Well, this is an interesting book for anyone reading it but particularly for us goyim, to say the least. It is written under a pen name to protect the author and is essentially a revelation of the Chassidim life in NYC . Every aspect of their ghetto life is revealed from prayer, food, schooling, marriage, etc but unfortunately it also reveals the painful aspect when an unspeakable crime is committed in a family. It is hidden from the authorities and the community at large. Ultimately this
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Apr 09, 2011
kari
rated it:
This was a very riveting read, but not an easy read, even though the language in some of it is quite child-like. How's that for a conundrum?
The chapters alternate between a time in the narrator's life when she is 8/9 years and and then 17/18 and while that can be confusing, in this case, the switches back and forth are so well done that they aren't jarring, nor will you be thinking I don't want to read this, get me back to the other part of the story. Both present and past stories are stro More...
The chapters alternate between a time in the narrator's life when she is 8/9 years and and then 17/18 and while that can be confusing, in this case, the switches back and forth are so well done that they aren't jarring, nor will you be thinking I don't want to read this, get me back to the other part of the story. Both present and past stories are stro More...
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Mar 25, 2011
nicole
rated it: 
I picked up this book from the middle of my to-read stack last night, after drying the last A Happy Marriage tear from the corner of my eye. Oh look, I said. Some YA will wash that last book out of my system. The first few pages dispelled that pretty quickly. I thought of putting the book aside, for something lighter.
But that's the thing with this book. You can't put it aside. You can't pretend that it's just an issue book. The slow unraveling of the story keeps you at a steady, ner More...
But that's the thing with this book. You can't put it aside. You can't pretend that it's just an issue book. The slow unraveling of the story keeps you at a steady, ner More...
Mar 09, 2011
Brooke
rated it:
This book kind of gives everyone a reality check. Bad things happen everywhere, even though they are not always acknowledged. Even in a Chassidic community there are crimes unspoken of. Growing up in this community, the children are completely oblivious to what is right and what is wrong in terms of sexual acts and other adult acts. The parents try to keep those secrets from their children until they are married. But Gittel witnessed an act that had to of traumatized her even though she wasn’t
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Jan 27, 2011
Ariel
rated it:
Wow, what a powerful read! I could not put it down. There are so many things to love about this book, although the story is very disturbing. It's narrated by a Hassidic girl in New York's ultra-Orthodox community of Borough Park whose best friend commits suicide at the age of 9 because she is being molested by her own brother and no one will recognize or discuss what's going on. The fear is that no one will want to marry anyone from a family that has any eccentric or even mildly nonconformist fa
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Jan 19, 2011
Maggie
rated it:
I do not give many 5s and this one I did not have to think twice about. The story is painful because of the subject matter but is one that must be told and retold and talked about and shared.
The first part of the book is told from a child's point-of-view, when the main character is nine through early teens. The second half of the book is told from her viewpoint after she graduates high school and is married.
At the age of nine, she is witness to her best friend being sexua More...
The first part of the book is told from a child's point-of-view, when the main character is nine through early teens. The second half of the book is told from her viewpoint after she graduates high school and is married.
At the age of nine, she is witness to her best friend being sexua More...
Jan 19, 2011
Jan
rated it:
After remembering the cause of her best friend Devory's suicide at age nine, Gittel is determined to raise awareness of sexual abuse in her Borough Park, New York, community, despite the rules of Chassidim that require her to be silent.
I found this story to be utterly compelling and I was so fascinated by the descriptions of Chassidic culture and by the appalling and very emotional story of sexual abuse.
The book uses time shifts to simultaneously tell the story of Devor More...
I found this story to be utterly compelling and I was so fascinated by the descriptions of Chassidic culture and by the appalling and very emotional story of sexual abuse.
The book uses time shifts to simultaneously tell the story of Devor More...
Jan 15, 2011
SaraK
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jan 11, 2011
Joan
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2 comments
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Dec 22, 2010
bibliophile brouhaha
rated it:
Do you remember studying the Holocaust in grade school? There was a famous saying that you probably learned:
“First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.”
—Martin Niemoeller
Nie More...
“First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.”
—Martin Niemoeller
Nie More...
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(2 people liked it)
Nov 21, 2010
Rachee
rated it:
What a wonderfully told tale! The book weaves Gittel's story from her youth to her marriage to a proper Jewish man and her decision to step forward and give a voice to her friend's pain. The Chassidic community is presented in a non-judgemental way; the author doesn't seem to blame the community nor does she excuse them. She lets the story unfold and we are able to get a look through the eyes of an innocent child. The narrative drives the book. There are wonderful glimpses into the the insular
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(1 person liked it)
Nov 16, 2010
Bronwyn
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Oct 29, 2010
Sarah-Greenbeanteenqueen
rated it:
Hush is a powerfully haunting book. The author is writing under a pseudonym and by writing this book is giving a voice to all those who have remained silent, and with Hush I believe she does.
The book flashes back and forth between the past and present for the first half, which works really well. You get to understand Gittel and how much keeping silent has tortured her which really makes the reader feel for her and with her. I felt Gittel’s pain and while I might not like that she’s More...
The book flashes back and forth between the past and present for the first half, which works really well. You get to understand Gittel and how much keeping silent has tortured her which really makes the reader feel for her and with her. I felt Gittel’s pain and while I might not like that she’s More...
Oct 25, 2010
Beth
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Apr 24, 2011
Minli
rated it:
Hush is not something I would have picked up on my own, and I was hesitant going in because the subject matter is one of my triggers. However, I'm really glad I read it, so I have the upcoming book club to thank.
Gittel grew up in the Chassidic Jewish community in Borough Park, Brooklyn, which is steeped in millennia of tradition. Now seventeen and in her last year of school, she's expected to become a wife and mother, but her past still haunts her. When Gittel was ten, she was in the s More...
Gittel grew up in the Chassidic Jewish community in Borough Park, Brooklyn, which is steeped in millennia of tradition. Now seventeen and in her last year of school, she's expected to become a wife and mother, but her past still haunts her. When Gittel was ten, she was in the s More...
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(2 people liked it)
Apr 15, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
I really got lucky on this. I was going to ask someone at my former employer to send me their ARC when they were done. Apparently, my order for this (placed months ago) wasn't canceled so it showed up at my house yesterday.
I got through the first 50 last night and covered another 15 this morning - it's that hard to put down.
I have always thought the plot device of jumping between the past and present can be very useful when done well and the author uses it beautifully to More...
I got through the first 50 last night and covered another 15 this morning - it's that hard to put down.
I have always thought the plot device of jumping between the past and present can be very useful when done well and the author uses it beautifully to More...
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(2 people liked it)
Dec 23, 2010
Jess
rated it:
A tense, gripping story that takes place in a closed religious community, where everyone believes that "those" problems don't happen to them, that an unnamed abuse cannot exist, and that those who point fingers are the ones who are sick. The first part of the book alternates between Gittel's childhood, before Devory died, and when Gittel is about to graduate from high school and become engaged. The suspense is maintained not because you can't guess what will happen, but because of ho
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Oct 01, 2010
Bethany
rated it:
4.5 stars
Born on the same day in the same hospital, Gittel and Devory have been best friends since birth. Both girls live in Borough Park, a neighborhood in Brooklyn that is home to the Chassidim – followers of a very strict form of Orthodox Judaism. This sect is a tight knit community in which everyone follows a stringent set of rules and shuns outside goyishe (non-Jewish) influences such as television and the internet. The year is 1999 and Gittel and Devory are eight years old. The More...
Born on the same day in the same hospital, Gittel and Devory have been best friends since birth. Both girls live in Borough Park, a neighborhood in Brooklyn that is home to the Chassidim – followers of a very strict form of Orthodox Judaism. This sect is a tight knit community in which everyone follows a stringent set of rules and shuns outside goyishe (non-Jewish) influences such as television and the internet. The year is 1999 and Gittel and Devory are eight years old. The More...
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Feb 23, 2011
Louisa
rated it:
When I moved to Brooklyn several years ago from Harlem, I became absolutely, absolutely obsessed by the traditional Jewish enclave near Wallabout Street. I loved riding the bus from Greenpoint to Prospect Park or Rachel Silverman's apartment on Eastern Parkway purely to catch a glimpse of the groups of men and your boys hurrying from home to yeshiva. And I became especially fascinated with the extremely large families of six to seven children mothered by beautiful girls who looked to be the sa
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Oct 11, 2010
The Bookologist
rated it:
Hush is an extremely controversial book that touches on sexual abuse and religious interference. In the Chassidic community, Gittel finds out that her best friend has been sexually abused by her own family. Hush delves deeper into the issue of religious traditions and walks the fine line of the Chassidic community, where many rules are enforced; some reasonable, and some that are not.
Even though I've never been in the position of Gittel, I was able to relate to her feelings and self-co More...
Even though I've never been in the position of Gittel, I was able to relate to her feelings and self-co More...
Mar 25, 2011
Cathy
rated it:
Here in Borough Park Brooklyn, right next to where my mother-in-law lived, is the largest neighborhood of Chassidem in the world. On Ocean Pkwy, I believe, was Rebbe Schnereson's yeshiva, but the author doesn't point her finger at one Chassidic sect. The author, using the pen name, A Woman of Valor, grew up in this world, and is clearly intimately knowledgeable of its ways. At first I was embarrassed to have it thrown open to the world, but then how else would these crimes be addressed.
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Oct 25, 2010
Megan
rated it:
3 1/2 stars.
This is the story of how secrets can destroy individuals as well as families and communities. Gittel and Devory are best friends, growing up in the ultra-conservative Chassidic community. Devory is the victim of incest, but even after she kills herself, Gittel is silenced and told not to tell what she knows. In this community, they never speak of such horrible matters; even to speak of it would bring shame upon Gittel and ruin her chances for a good marriage. It's hea More...
This is the story of how secrets can destroy individuals as well as families and communities. Gittel and Devory are best friends, growing up in the ultra-conservative Chassidic community. Devory is the victim of incest, but even after she kills herself, Gittel is silenced and told not to tell what she knows. In this community, they never speak of such horrible matters; even to speak of it would bring shame upon Gittel and ruin her chances for a good marriage. It's hea More...
Jul 20, 2011
Esther
rated it:
A friend of mine recommended the book, “Hush”, to me. “It’s a must read”. That was all she said. When I googled the title, I was somewhat taken aback…..this was considered a “young adult” novel. Would it really hold my interest? As I read more about the book, I became more and more intrigued. “Hush” is written by Eishes Chayil. This is actually pen name of the author, and in Hebrew it means Women of Valour. ”Hush” takes place in the Chassidic community of Borough Park, in Brooklyn. I
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Feb 11, 2011
Hayley
rated it:
This book was, as expected, intense and emotional. It was also eye-opening. It offered me a window into a culture (Chassidic Jewish faith)that I knew absolutely nothing about. I had expected a story that depicted a protagonist dealing with sexual abuse, but it was so much more than that. Every aspect of how the characters react to the trauma is wrought with religious tradition, and because the book is written by a Chassidic woman, the characters and their emotions are extremely believable.
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Aug 29, 2011
Rhonda
rated it:
This is a truly heart-rending story of a young girl living in a Chassidic Jewish community in New York who witnesses the molestation of her best friend at the hands of her friend's older brother. Gittel didn't understand what was happening, couldn't protect her friend, and when her friend, Devory, commits suicide, she is told to forget about her and everything that happened.
Told in alternating narratives from Gittel as a 9 year old and then as a young adult graduating high school an More...
Told in alternating narratives from Gittel as a 9 year old and then as a young adult graduating high school an More...
