Your Sad Eyes and Unforgettable Mouth

by Edeet Ravel

From Edeet Ravel, internationally acclaimed author of the Tel Aviv Trilogy, comes a deeply personal novel about an unexpected friendship. Maya and Rosie meet one day at the local dry cleaner's and their instant friendship blossoms into an inseparable bond. Both are children of holocaust survivors, but where Maya refuses to become entangled in the past, Rosie is inexorably drawn into her parents' haunted world. Your Sad Eyes and Unforgettable Mouth is a deeply resonant novel about the strength and nature of friendship, the weight of the secrets we keep, and whether or not we are ever able to truly live beyond the past.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Canada, Jewish, Lesbian, Literary Fiction, Holocaust

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 9, 2008

About the author

Edeet Ravel is the author of sixteen books for children and adults. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and have won numerous awards, including the Hugh MacLennan Book Award, the J.I. Segal Award, the Canadian Jewish Book Award (in two categories), the Janet Savage Blachford Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature, and the Snow Willow Award. Edeet's books have also been shortlisted for the Giller Prize, the Commonwealth Book Prize, and the Arthur Ellis Crime Award. Edeet was a three-time Governor General's Award finalist in two categories. Her novel The Saver (Groundwood) was adapted into film by Wiebke von Carolsfeld. Her latest (crossover) novels are A Boy Is Not a Bird and A Boy Is Not a Ghost, about a child who is exiled to Siberia in WWII, and Miss Matty, in which a teenager in Montreal of 1942 dreams of being a Hollywood star. In the words of one young reader, "Edeet has a vision where what is strange is loved and what is beautiful -- our planet, our humanity -- is protected." Edeet lives in Montreal, Canada.

Reviews

[Carolyn Gerk · Rating 3 out of 5]

At moments during this novel, I felt that I had read it before. I often find myself caught up in books that follow our tortured female heroine through the paths of a coming of age story, packed with beautiful prose and language, rich imagery, angst ridden plot twists and broken people; side characters whose lives are rife with the arts, literature, music, painting. You Sad Eyes hosts all of these things , and at times, I thought, gosh, I am reading the same thing, over and over.
However, though the novel can get stuck in the trials and tribulations of growing up, it does turn out to have a plot. So often such stories like this do not have much more to offer than descriptions.
A character driven story, Your Sad Eyes has something different in that its characters are all children of holocaust survivors and Ravel shows us the different ways in which a survivor and an immigrant may respond to a new life in Montreal, and they ways in which their children may absorb the stain of tragedy upon the family.
Maya fights to remain detached from her mother's past, refusing to hear her tales of woe, sliding into a false sense of apathy. But when Maya's mind catches up and thrusts her into thoughts of the past,w e watch her crumble. Rosie, Patrick and Anthony all have their own ways of dealing with a past that they did not experience first hand.
Primarily, this is not a 'holocaust novel'. It is a Coming of age story, first. But with a backdrop of hidden horrors, Your Sad Eyes touches on themes of survival, belonging, guilt and the responsibility we have to ourselves and others when linked by tragic events.
It is not a perfect novel. It lacks some connection, at times, some plots twists and turns seem a little contrived. Some parts drag too long, others don't last near long enough. But Ravel offers us something new from time to time. A change in perspective, and a sense of humor.

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[Sarah Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cleverly wrought and devestating.

[Ashish · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.33 Stars

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a beautifully written book. I was sad that it didn't go further with the ending, but still good.

[Nairne Holtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Your Sad Eyes and Unforgettable Mouth, Maya, the narrator, looks back on her life forty years earlier and the events that led her and her friends to make a secret pact. Maya is an immigrant, raised by a single mother who is a Holocaust survivor. In the late 60s and early 70s in Montreal, widespread knowledge of the Holocaust didn’t exist. As a child Maya does not fully understand what occurred in the terrifying place she thinks of as there. Her chatty mother, who has no concept of boundaries, shares vague and creepy details of her trauma with everyone she encounters (which Ravel describes with wonderfully bleak humour). At thirteen, Maya meets Rosie and within hours is in love with her. (Maya turns out to be a lesbian, but the book is largely set before she explores this fact.) Rosie is also drawn to Maya for their homes are the same kind of crazy with Holocaust survivor parents, who hopelessly indulge them, but whose suffering and vulnerability forces their children into adult roles. Where Maya rebels and rebuffs her mother and her history, Rosie is compelled to a performance of happiness as well as to acts of extreme generosity to everyone around her. The two encounter a pair of brothers, whose mother is also a Holocaust survivor, and an unexpected tragedy simultaneously binds and breaks these young people. Ravel nicely captures the city of Montreal and the era, which I enjoyed, though younger readers may be put off by the references to now unfamiliar books, songs, and historical events. The theme of transgenerational trauma, however, is timeless and Ravel explores it with subtlety and intelligence.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Edeet ravel because she tackles what seem like old stories from a fresh perspective. IN this case, this is the coming of age story of two friends in 1960s Montreal. ther's all the travails of boys, parents, friends, swimming pools. theres' the added pinch here that the friends and all their friends are the children of Holocaust survivors. How their famileis cope with (or don't) talk about (or dont') what ahppenend "over there" is the real heart of this story. I found it really throught prooking and really sad. the book feels a bit sprawly and a bit unfinsihed wihch is why I didnt' give it a five. I think others have commented that the characters were rash and unbelievalbe. If you think these characters are rsh, you shoudl read Ravel's tel aviv trilogy in which everyone lives live so normally on one level and is so intensvely obessive on another. It's what I like about this authro, but may not be for everyone since the realism sometimes clashed siwth the unbeeliebable.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to explain how I feel about this book. In some ways, it seemed to drag on at times, and I felt that the ending seemed rushed and didn't really do justice to the rest of the story. However, what was good was really good. The author's style of prose drew the characters' descriptions perfectly without the tediousness of over-description that seems so common in fiction these days. I especially enjoyed the particular view of certain friendships as inconstant, yet definitive things. Actually, the whole idea of what-we-come-from-is-what-defines-us was handled remarkably well throughout the book.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the truest humour comes from pain, this book is laugh-out-loud funny, while at the same time so sad it makes you feel like you've swallowed stone. Wonderful, lovable, damaged characters. Addressing the unanswerable question -- how to go on after something like the Holocaust, something so comprehensively negating and destructive? And the only answer is, you do go on, however broken and isolated you might be. Beautiful.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title, cover photo, and for that matter, jacket description threw me off: I was expecting an angst-ridden novel with the plot secondary to the language. The writing is good, but this is more of an adolescent coming of age story, with lots of funny bits (and sad bits too). In my view, the only problem is the novel ended too soon, with some major gaps in the storyline.

[Fiona Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book, a very interesting perspective and a protagonist that it is easy to feel for. A few plot twists and developments that seemed a little unlikely, or not as good as the rest of it, but overall very good. I enjoyed the fact that it is set in Montreal, but that was not really central to the story.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel terrible for pretty much hating this book. There was some real promise towards the beginning, but I felt like the story never went anywhere. For much of the book I felt as though the story on paper was being told around the actual story--which was far more interesting and devastating. As written though, I just didn't care for it.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Montreal, a book about growing up as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. Some kooky characters, intense feelings for her friends and coming out as a lesbian. This book, the story, the teen angst felt so familiar like I've read it before. But the ending is one you can't forget and that leaves you disturbed with the twist at the end.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first person narrative embarks inot the crucial year of young love, rebellion and identity.
It explores the lives of young people in the face of their parents struggle to rebuild theri lives fallowing the trauma they experienced "over there".

[Kathleen McRae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your sad eyes is a coming not age story set in 1960's Montreal.All the main teen characters are the children of holocaust survivors who talk about what happened 'there' only in a very disjointed sense.I found this to be an interesting read

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mostly character driven novel, but with a surprising plot towards the end. It focuses on themes of intergenerational trauma, belonging, family & love. An interesting look at intense friendships between girls in high school.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, beautiful, fascinating...I'll write more later.

[Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed by this book, mainly since I loved the Tel Aviv trilogy by the same author. The characters had a lot of promise, but I felt like I just never really connected with any of them.

[Maree Cox-Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ravel's characters perfectly display how the trauma of war and genocide are passed along from one generation to the next.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

gorgeous.
ravel is my favorite Canadian author.

[glenn boyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the work of Edeet Ravel (Guelph, ON resident), and again her novel Your Sad Eyes and Unforgettable Mouth, stirred deeply within my soul.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book… it’s so beautiful

[sushicata · Rating 4 out of 5]

well written, new perspective. recommend!

[Shanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy moly, this is a beautiful book.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written. Awesome and sad story.

[Sile Mcdermott · Rating 3 out of 5]

strange...