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Toate casele au nevoie de un balcon
În inima celui mai sărac cartier din Haifa,Wasi Salib, înconjurată de o familie iubitoare originară din România, creşte o fetiţă veselă, dar cu privire tristă. Ea se dovedeşte a fi foarte norocoasă, pentru că va creşte şi-l va întâlni pe Făt-Frumos, întrupat într-un tânăr de familie bună din Spania. Odată cu trecerea timpului,basmul se va transforma însă în realitate crudă, visul frumos spulberându-se în vânt. Toate casele au nevoie de un balcon este un roman bulversant, care redă cu candoare şi detaşare viaţa de zi cu zi a unei familii de evrei imigranţi, dar şi procesul dificil al naşterii unei ţări.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
13 people are currently reading
214 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
May 6, 2016
Told through a series of anecdotes that float between past and present this is the story of Rina Frank, a daughter of Romanian immigrants, who grew up in Haifa, Israel in a small, cramped apartment with a narrow balcony from which their entertainment played out around and below them in real life. These are the days of their lives.
Or at least glimpses of them as Rina remembers the people, places and events that coloured her past and influenced her future.
A journey of self discovery, Every House needs a Balcony is a bitter sweet look at the meaning of home and family.
Or at least glimpses of them as Rina remembers the people, places and events that coloured her past and influenced her future.
A journey of self discovery, Every House needs a Balcony is a bitter sweet look at the meaning of home and family.
March 7, 2022
Nu-i o capodoperă, dar se citește ușor și au fost interesante detaliile despre cum se adaptau proaspeții imigranți în Israel în a doua jumătate a secolului trecut, mai ales că e vorba despre evrei români.
October 15, 2022
לסקירה מפורטת בעברית, קישור לבלוג שלי -
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/כל-ב...
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/כל-ב...
March 3, 2019
In ‘Every Home Needs a Balcony’ Rina Frank tells two separate but interconnected tales. The first is about a Romanian Jewish family arriving in the newly formed state of Israel and building a life for themselves in a multiple occupancy flat in Haifa. This is told in the first person from the point of view of the Rina, the younger daughter. The second thread that runs through the book is told in the third person and is about the romance and marriage of a young woman who finds her ‘perfect’ man, marries him, has a baby who is seriously ill and watches everything fall apart. We assume that the young girl and the young mother are the same woman although it’s not explicitly stated, and the book jumps back and forth in time between the two stories. It’s not hard to keep the two stories separate – in fact to some degree it’s disappointing that neither appears to really influence the other. You could cut them apart and make two short books and it’s quite possible that neither would suffer separation from its Siamese twin.
It’s not an easy book to review because it’s one in which relatively little actually happens but it happens (or doesn’t happen) in a gentle and fascinating way. There are few twists or turns and the tale progresses in a linear fashion. There are no surprises and it’s much more about describing time and place, emotions and the minutiae of daily life and its disappointments. Despite not being very ‘plot-driven’ it’s still a compelling read although it would be unfair to not reveal that when I reached the end I was left feeling somewhere unsatisfied.
Rina’s family left Romania and arrived in Israel just a little bit too late. By the time they turned up the land and property grab in which Jewish incomers grabbed the best houses left by departing Arabs left little for the later arrivals to fight over. The family end up living in a windowless kitchenette in a relative’s flat, eventually graduating to one large room that the four of them share which represents a wonderful improvement because it has a balcony. Frank explains that the balcony is the place where everything happens – where they watch the neighbours and the neighbours watch them, where everyone can see how worn and patched your laundry is and how often you wash your sheets. There are no secrets in this neighbourhood and the balcony is their television. We learn from Rina’s sister how to hold your chin up and pass yourself off as ‘better than you should be’ – to leave the flat in a smelly district of Haifa always dressed in your best clothes in case your friends should see you and then you can pretend you’re just passing through, to always behave as if you live in the finest part of town, even though your family are sharing a single room.
Rina’s parents are a mixed marriage – she an Ashkenazi Jew, he a Sephardic – and they don’t love each other. In the authentic voice of a child Rina tells us that they had sex once and made her sister, the second time they made her. Which child who’s just learned the very sketchy facts of life hasn’t told themselves that their parents have ‘done it’ only to make children? She also recounts the violence of her surroundings where other families engage in a frenzy of beatings. The father beats the mother who beats the elder children who in turn beat the little ones. Everyone’s just longing to get bigger and find someone smaller and younger to smack around.
As so often happens when history repeats itself, the older Rina makes another mixed marriage – she an Israeli, he a Spaniard, but perhaps the more serious gap is that she’s poor and he’s from a wealthy family. Everyone in this book is trying to come to terms with not being entirely confident or comfortable in their skin. Even when Rina’s living a comfortable life in Barcelona with no money worries, she still wants to go back to Israel where they’ll have less money and a much harder life. Like her parents, you could argue that they didn’t know when they were well off.
Despite the darkness of the plot, the sadness of the lives and the inexorable journey towards unhappiness, there is a lot of humour in the book. 'Every Home Needs a Balcony' is Rina Frank’s first novel and is described as "partly autobiographical". I’m sure she has a great future ahead of her but I can’t help hoping that next time she sticks to pure fiction so I can like her and her characters without having to wonder where fact ends and fiction begins.
It’s not an easy book to review because it’s one in which relatively little actually happens but it happens (or doesn’t happen) in a gentle and fascinating way. There are few twists or turns and the tale progresses in a linear fashion. There are no surprises and it’s much more about describing time and place, emotions and the minutiae of daily life and its disappointments. Despite not being very ‘plot-driven’ it’s still a compelling read although it would be unfair to not reveal that when I reached the end I was left feeling somewhere unsatisfied.
Rina’s family left Romania and arrived in Israel just a little bit too late. By the time they turned up the land and property grab in which Jewish incomers grabbed the best houses left by departing Arabs left little for the later arrivals to fight over. The family end up living in a windowless kitchenette in a relative’s flat, eventually graduating to one large room that the four of them share which represents a wonderful improvement because it has a balcony. Frank explains that the balcony is the place where everything happens – where they watch the neighbours and the neighbours watch them, where everyone can see how worn and patched your laundry is and how often you wash your sheets. There are no secrets in this neighbourhood and the balcony is their television. We learn from Rina’s sister how to hold your chin up and pass yourself off as ‘better than you should be’ – to leave the flat in a smelly district of Haifa always dressed in your best clothes in case your friends should see you and then you can pretend you’re just passing through, to always behave as if you live in the finest part of town, even though your family are sharing a single room.
Rina’s parents are a mixed marriage – she an Ashkenazi Jew, he a Sephardic – and they don’t love each other. In the authentic voice of a child Rina tells us that they had sex once and made her sister, the second time they made her. Which child who’s just learned the very sketchy facts of life hasn’t told themselves that their parents have ‘done it’ only to make children? She also recounts the violence of her surroundings where other families engage in a frenzy of beatings. The father beats the mother who beats the elder children who in turn beat the little ones. Everyone’s just longing to get bigger and find someone smaller and younger to smack around.
As so often happens when history repeats itself, the older Rina makes another mixed marriage – she an Israeli, he a Spaniard, but perhaps the more serious gap is that she’s poor and he’s from a wealthy family. Everyone in this book is trying to come to terms with not being entirely confident or comfortable in their skin. Even when Rina’s living a comfortable life in Barcelona with no money worries, she still wants to go back to Israel where they’ll have less money and a much harder life. Like her parents, you could argue that they didn’t know when they were well off.
Despite the darkness of the plot, the sadness of the lives and the inexorable journey towards unhappiness, there is a lot of humour in the book. 'Every Home Needs a Balcony' is Rina Frank’s first novel and is described as "partly autobiographical". I’m sure she has a great future ahead of her but I can’t help hoping that next time she sticks to pure fiction so I can like her and her characters without having to wonder where fact ends and fiction begins.
January 1, 2022
This book is exactly what I needed after a boring series. An excellent love book that shows us that too much spoils, and nothing is as cute and perfect as it seems. I recommend it!
November 16, 2018
I think this is the second book that I actually read in Hebrew and finished it!
Honestly, this is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read!
It is true that there is a lot of books that I enjoy reading them and I recommend, but for me, to call a book beautiful it is a whole different thing from being called a good and enjoyable!
The feelings and the place the story takes place in, are the main key in making this book such one!
The story, I wouldn't call it a happy one but more of a "TYPICAL" real-life story where you get to have some happiness and a lot of sad things and hardships, only through time you are able to learn to coop with it.
In life, there is always hardships to remind us that if we want happiness we should work for it!
Rina, the storyteller in the book, I wouldn't say that I can relate to her, but the truth is she is a typical girl who grows and became a mother, a great one!
The way we get to look at her life, the way she deals with, her problems and hardships in her life is magnificent, I really fell for her!! besides, she has some qualities that are rare to find in people!
Although there is a lot of misfortunes happen in her life, she standstill in front of all the problems. I think part of that is because she is positive, her mentality is strong!
Furthermore, we can't forget to mention her as a mother, because her motherhood is the star of the whole story! the heart of a mother is portrayed perfectly! I am sure our mothers are the same, they would give their lives for us - their children. (love u mom and thank u :) )
A must read!
Honestly, this is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read!
It is true that there is a lot of books that I enjoy reading them and I recommend, but for me, to call a book beautiful it is a whole different thing from being called a good and enjoyable!
The feelings and the place the story takes place in, are the main key in making this book such one!
The story, I wouldn't call it a happy one but more of a "TYPICAL" real-life story where you get to have some happiness and a lot of sad things and hardships, only through time you are able to learn to coop with it.
In life, there is always hardships to remind us that if we want happiness we should work for it!
Rina, the storyteller in the book, I wouldn't say that I can relate to her, but the truth is she is a typical girl who grows and became a mother, a great one!
The way we get to look at her life, the way she deals with, her problems and hardships in her life is magnificent, I really fell for her!! besides, she has some qualities that are rare to find in people!
Although there is a lot of misfortunes happen in her life, she standstill in front of all the problems. I think part of that is because she is positive, her mentality is strong!
Furthermore, we can't forget to mention her as a mother, because her motherhood is the star of the whole story! the heart of a mother is portrayed perfectly! I am sure our mothers are the same, they would give their lives for us - their children. (love u mom and thank u :) )
A must read!
July 20, 2019
4.5 כוכבים
הספר מספר על חייה של רינה בשני קווי זמן. אחד של רינה הילדה וחייה בחיפה עם משפחתה. השני, רינה כבוגרת, המכירה בחור מברצלונה שנכנס לחייה.
ספר מעולה, מומלץ מאוד
הספר מספר על חייה של רינה בשני קווי זמן. אחד של רינה הילדה וחייה בחיפה עם משפחתה. השני, רינה כבוגרת, המכירה בחור מברצלונה שנכנס לחייה.
ספר מעולה, מומלץ מאוד
August 14, 2025
Excelente libro que engancha y se lee de corrido. La autora y protagonista arrolla por su fortaleza y personalidad. Magnífica descripción de caracteres y situaciones. Quedo a la espera de su continuación 😉
June 14, 2010
This is a recent translation of a top-selling book by an Israeli author. I've always struggled with processing my reaction to translations. A good translator maintains the spirit of not only the plot but also the language. That said, it can never be flawless and without the translator's imprint.
The plot is the life story of an Israeli woman. She grows up in poverty, the daughter of immigrants. The family (Mom, Dad, narrator & sister) shares a single room and the young narrator spends a lot of time observing her own family as well as her neighbors. When she is older, she meets a wealthy man and briefly relocates to Barcelona before returning to her native land to have a child.
I expected to really enjoy this novel. The plot sounds up my alley and it is a character-driven story. However, it really lost me in the telling (hence the author/translator ponderings). The chapters alternate between first-person accounts of the narrator's childhood and third-person accounts of her adult life. While that kept the timelines distinct, it was jarring (hopefully the editors will catch the few errors in the voice that are in the proof version). Neither voice captivated me. I like flawed characters so don't need a perfect heroine, but I never felt connected to the main character.
I don't like not liking books. I did a few internet searches and did find a reviewer with similar sentiments...that made me feel better. Fine story but lost in the telling....whether that is the author or the translator is something I can't judge.
(This reviews is based on a proof-version provided to me by HarperCollins)
The plot is the life story of an Israeli woman. She grows up in poverty, the daughter of immigrants. The family (Mom, Dad, narrator & sister) shares a single room and the young narrator spends a lot of time observing her own family as well as her neighbors. When she is older, she meets a wealthy man and briefly relocates to Barcelona before returning to her native land to have a child.
I expected to really enjoy this novel. The plot sounds up my alley and it is a character-driven story. However, it really lost me in the telling (hence the author/translator ponderings). The chapters alternate between first-person accounts of the narrator's childhood and third-person accounts of her adult life. While that kept the timelines distinct, it was jarring (hopefully the editors will catch the few errors in the voice that are in the proof version). Neither voice captivated me. I like flawed characters so don't need a perfect heroine, but I never felt connected to the main character.
I don't like not liking books. I did a few internet searches and did find a reviewer with similar sentiments...that made me feel better. Fine story but lost in the telling....whether that is the author or the translator is something I can't judge.
(This reviews is based on a proof-version provided to me by HarperCollins)
September 12, 2010
Had this book not been set in Israel I would have only given it two stars, because my affinity for the country automatically makes me more inclined to seek out Israeli literature and films. Still, I have not yet been to Haifa where this book is set, although "Every House Needs a Balcony", with its story of a girl growing up in heartbreaking poverty, does not do much to sell the city as a place to visit. I generally have a problem with "novels" that are really autobiographies, and that's what this one seems to be. Just like the book's protagonist, the author is Romanian, named Rina and grew up in the Wadi Salib slum of Haifa, and it seems as if this is basically the story of her life. Why not just write a autobiography then? Anyway, the book had some very touching stories of family life in a one-room apartment shared by 4 people; additionally, the best and most compelling part of the book is the heartbreaking depiction of the grown-up Rina's struggles with a critically ill infant daughter.
January 7, 2012
Just couldn't read past the first 50 promising pages where the closeness of lives on a crowded street on Israel, lives lived in view and hearing of the neighbors, was intriguing and warm and fascinating. After the story got mired in details of people who seemed unrelated and with no depth, it lost its originality and piquancy. Alas.
April 3, 2018
L’ho letto insieme al gruppo di lettura di cui faccio parte. Stiamo leggendo un filone di autori israeliani e questo è il secondo di tre. Devo dire che non mi ha colpito molto, la trama semplice e realistica senza troppi colpi di scena. Ora.. io non conosco molto Israele e la religione ebraica, questo libro mi ha fatto un po’ di chiarezza. Ma giusto un po’... rispetto al primo libro (tra giorni e un bambino) mi ha dato più spiegazioni e più informazioni su diverse città israeliane. Però anche questo libro, dà molte cose per scontate e se non si conosce quella cultura risulta difficile capirle. Sconsigliato se si vuole fare chiarezza sulla cultura israeliana... sono sicurissimo che esistono romanzi più appassionanti e che fanno più chiarezza, con magari una buona traduzione e qualche nota sotto o a fine libro. Sono poche pagine, ma si fanno molte pause a cercare su internet dei termini sconosciuti alla nostra cultura occidentale! Se voglio leggere qualcosa su Israele, il libro non ha centrato troppo l’obbiettivo. Se voglio semplicemente leggere un bel romanzo, anche lì è carente. In ogni caso è scorrevole (tolti i termini di cui parlavo) e quindi non mi sento di dare una stella e considerarlo pessimo. Ma 2 stelle - 2 e mezzo - non gliele leva nessuno. Per concludere, non consigliato!
September 10, 2019
Interesting story of the life of Rina Frank, the daughter of Romanian immigrants, who grew up in Hafia, Israel in a small, cramped apartment with a narrow balcony which provided the family with a view of their world. The apartment is in the Wadi Salib slum of Hafia. As an adult she meets and falls in love with a very wealthy Jewish man who lives in Spain. They eventually marry and live a wealthy and privileged life in Barcelona. When Rina becomes pregnant, she insists that she and her husband move back to Haifia. When the baby (Noa) arrives, she has multiple serious medical problems . The constant stress caused by the baby's complicated medical problems puts a great strain on Rina's marriage and she and her husband drift further and further apart until he has an affair and falls out of love with Rina. Rina becomes more and more dedicated to her daughter's health issues to the detriment of any other priorities in her life. The marriage ends allowing Rina to dedicate her whole life to her daughter. I found this to be a good story and a good look at different cultures (Israel and Spain). I thought the book ended very abruptly...I would have liked more closure regarding Rina and her baby.l
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2021
אני חייבת להגיד שהספר הזה ממש הזכיר לי את "מלכת היופי של ירושלים" רק בעיר חיפה. ולמרות המוטיב של 'הגברים לא אוהבים את הנשים שלהם' בספר ההוא, חשבתי שהספר הזה יהיה יותר טוב. טעיתי, הוא היה דרמטי והדמויות ממש חשבו את עצמן לאורך כולו, הן לא התבגרו ורק ביקשו עוד ועוד בלי להעריך את מה שכבר היה להן ככה שהיה לי ממש קשה להתחבר אל הספר.
דבר נוסף, הספר הזה הוא דבר מאוד כנה על התקופה הזו בה חיו הדמויות, שנות החמישים והשישים, שזה משהו שהייתי צריכה להזכיר לעצמי לאורך הקריאה. וגם אבא שלי היה צריך להזכיר לי את זה שבאותה תקופה דברים היו שונים ולא כמו היום, או כלל לא כמו בהרבה מקומות בעולם ואנשים ראו את הספר הזה כלא טוב בגלל האישיות הנוראית של חלק מהדמויות שפשוט לא כיף לקרוא אותו, אין חיבור עם דמויות ואתה רוצה להתלונן עליו. אבל הספר גם מראה את הפנים האמתיות של אנשים בתקופה בה הם חיו, אז אף אחד לא ברמת יכול להתלונן על התוכן, אף סופר לא היה כותב דמויות שכל כך קשה להתחבר אליהן ושישנאו אות על העמודים הראשונים. אבל רינה באמת נתנה לנו בוקס של כנות בפרצוף.
ספרים כאלה תמיד מוציאים את הישראלים שכותבים על ישראלים רע, ואני לא יכולה להגיד שהם טועים, עם כמה כולם מגובשים בארץ הזאתי, יש הרבה בעיות אישיות וחוצפנות והספרים שבאמת מראים את זה, אלו ספרים כמו "כל בית צריך מרפסת". בהחלט ספר יפה לתקופתו אבל לא משהו שמתחברים אליו במאה ה21.
מה כן אהבתי? את הרפרנסים ל"נשים קטנות". לא באמת יותר מזה.
דבר נוסף, הספר הזה הוא דבר מאוד כנה על התקופה הזו בה חיו הדמויות, שנות החמישים והשישים, שזה משהו שהייתי צריכה להזכיר לעצמי לאורך הקריאה. וגם אבא שלי היה צריך להזכיר לי את זה שבאותה תקופה דברים היו שונים ולא כמו היום, או כלל לא כמו בהרבה מקומות בעולם ואנשים ראו את הספר הזה כלא טוב בגלל האישיות הנוראית של חלק מהדמויות שפשוט לא כיף לקרוא אותו, אין חיבור עם דמויות ואתה רוצה להתלונן עליו. אבל הספר גם מראה את הפנים האמתיות של אנשים בתקופה בה הם חיו, אז אף אחד לא ברמת יכול להתלונן על התוכן, אף סופר לא היה כותב דמויות שכל כך קשה להתחבר אליהן ושישנאו אות על העמודים הראשונים. אבל רינה באמת נתנה לנו בוקס של כנות בפרצוף.
ספרים כאלה תמיד מוציאים את הישראלים שכותבים על ישראלים רע, ואני לא יכולה להגיד שהם טועים, עם כמה כולם מגובשים בארץ הזאתי, יש הרבה בעיות אישיות וחוצפנות והספרים שבאמת מראים את זה, אלו ספרים כמו "כל בית צריך מרפסת". בהחלט ספר יפה לתקופתו אבל לא משהו שמתחברים אליו במאה ה21.
מה כן אהבתי? את הרפרנסים ל"נשים קטנות". לא באמת יותר מזה.
March 23, 2022
3,3 ster. Het boek geeft behalve een intens verhaal, ook een aardig tijdsbeeld.
Het heeft maar deels met dit boek te maken, maar ik vraag me af of ik dit jaar nog een roman zal lezen zonder fat shaming…
Ook deze auteur bezondigt zich eraan. Helaas. Dikke mensen zijn geen varkens, walgelijk etc. Het is ook qua schrijven te makkelijk. Net als dat een goed “figuurtje” je automatisch mooi maakt.
Het heeft maar deels met dit boek te maken, maar ik vraag me af of ik dit jaar nog een roman zal lezen zonder fat shaming…
Ook deze auteur bezondigt zich eraan. Helaas. Dikke mensen zijn geen varkens, walgelijk etc. Het is ook qua schrijven te makkelijk. Net als dat een goed “figuurtje” je automatisch mooi maakt.
January 22, 2022
A wonderful historical fiction with a beautiful storyline.
January 18, 2023
נחמד בגדול, קצת מתברבר
February 4, 2024
Eu gosto de conhecer novas culturas a partir de livros e romances. Gostei disso.
July 13, 2025
Written in a charming naive way, which makes the story loveable in spite of an unsophisticated.
March 8, 2022
Cand am ales aceasta carte, habar nu aveam despre ce este. Am ales-o datorit titlului. Deoarece inainte sa dau de ea, chiar insiram lucrurile pozitive care au venit odata cu casa in care locuim, doar ca ne lipseste balconul de acasa. Va dati seama ca atunci cand am gasit aceasta carte, cu acest titlu, n-am putut sa trec indiferenta. 😁🤣
Cartea cuprinde povestea unor evrei imigranti, care locuiesc intr-unul dintre cartierele sarace din Haifa. E mai degraba povestea unei fetite, care creste alaturi de o familie originara din Romania. Creste si se transforma intr-o domnisoara frumoasa, care cunoaste un tanar evreu incantator, care locuieste in Spania. Se indragostesc unul de celalalt si se casatoresc, iar viata de poveste la care visase aceasta, se naruie si cei doi nu mai reusesc sa gaseasca un punct comun. E o poveste trista. Si mai mult decat povestea unei tinere evreice, este povestea unei natiuni.
Am citit carti despre holocaust, insa niciuna despre viata evreilor in anii de dupa razboi. Cartea e dupa cum am spus o poveste de viata, asa ca nu are cum sa imi placa sau nu. Insa la inceput unele fraze mi s-au parut haotice, fara nicio logica. Limbajul cartii este simplu, nesofisticat, atata doar ca trebuie sa intelegi termenii evreiesti, iar pentru asta trebuie aruncata mereu o privire asupra listei de la inceputul cartii.
Cartea cuprinde povestea unor evrei imigranti, care locuiesc intr-unul dintre cartierele sarace din Haifa. E mai degraba povestea unei fetite, care creste alaturi de o familie originara din Romania. Creste si se transforma intr-o domnisoara frumoasa, care cunoaste un tanar evreu incantator, care locuieste in Spania. Se indragostesc unul de celalalt si se casatoresc, iar viata de poveste la care visase aceasta, se naruie si cei doi nu mai reusesc sa gaseasca un punct comun. E o poveste trista. Si mai mult decat povestea unei tinere evreice, este povestea unei natiuni.
Am citit carti despre holocaust, insa niciuna despre viata evreilor in anii de dupa razboi. Cartea e dupa cum am spus o poveste de viata, asa ca nu are cum sa imi placa sau nu. Insa la inceput unele fraze mi s-au parut haotice, fara nicio logica. Limbajul cartii este simplu, nesofisticat, atata doar ca trebuie sa intelegi termenii evreiesti, iar pentru asta trebuie aruncata mereu o privire asupra listei de la inceputul cartii.
March 26, 2016
Straszliwie się umęczyłam. Jeśli będę chciała poczytać o wielokulturowości – wrócę do „Chicago”. Jeśli będę chciała poczytać o Żydach – sięgnę po Ligocką. „Każdy dom…” nie zachwycił mnie niczym. I raczej nie zanosi się, żebym kiedyś wróciła do tej książki. Autorka namieszała z chronologią wydarzeń do tego stopnia, że powieść jest po prostu chaotyczna. Zanim wszystko zacznie się układać w całość, trzeba się nieźle nagłowić, o co w ogóle chodzi. Mieszają się miejsca, czasy, bohaterowie. Może i łatwiej byłoby to wszystko ogarnąć, gdyby powieść była wciągająca. A nie jest. Największą zaletą tej książki jest jej tytuł, a to zdecydowanie nie wystarczy, by nazwać ją dobrą.
April 21, 2011
a good book . It took me a bit time to get into it.
Written in 2 voices - one of a child in first person as the heroine is growing up in Haifa . The second as a third person of that child as a grown up.
The third person is very distant and cold voice and i found it hard to connect to .
The whole book is trying to cram lots of small stories of life into the plot and while some are very touching it causes the book to be semi superficial and not go deep where it could .
Written in 2 voices - one of a child in first person as the heroine is growing up in Haifa . The second as a third person of that child as a grown up.
The third person is very distant and cold voice and i found it hard to connect to .
The whole book is trying to cram lots of small stories of life into the plot and while some are very touching it causes the book to be semi superficial and not go deep where it could .
April 8, 2012
I always read books about Jews and thought it would be interesting to read about Jews immigrating to Israel. Unfortunately I was never able to find a connection with the main character. I found her to be self-absorbed and selfish. More's the pity that this is meant to be partly autobiographical.
The book was translated from the Hebrew - maybe it lost something in translation? But somehow I doubt is.
The book was translated from the Hebrew - maybe it lost something in translation? But somehow I doubt is.
June 29, 2011
Fairly interesting, not exactly a story. At least not the type of story with a beginning, middle and end. The different points of view between past and present took me a while to notice, but once I did, it was distracting.
I picked this book because of the interesting title and the beautiful photo on the cover.
I picked this book because of the interesting title and the beautiful photo on the cover.
December 17, 2013
I enjoyed the book enough to finish it, however it was difficult following the time sequence of events jumping from past to present. I liked the details of the daily life of the characters, and the lifestyles depicted throughout in Israel and Spain and Romania, BUT for the life of me, I cannot decipher what "trumpet in her ear" means...(???)
February 3, 2016
I tried to enjoy this book, but it was a bit scattered in the telling. The author bounces between decades, making only a somewhat interesting family story rather hard to follow. It was difficult to like the main character. At first, you rather admire her spunky, although stubborn, personality but unfortunately, she goes on to become almost selfish.
Read
June 16, 2010This book, translated from the Hebrew by Ora Cummings, gave me a great deal to think about. See my review in Jewish Journal. (ARC)
October 24, 2013
Maybe it is the fact that the author is of Romanian-Jewish descendance, but I really identified with the story. My favourite aspect of the book was the fact that the episodes from her childhood presented in the beginning of a chapter have the same theme the story from her adult life have.
July 16, 2010
great story about family
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