Giving Up America

by Pearl Abraham

Deena, who defied the wishes of her father, a Hasidic scholar, to marry the non-Hasidic Daniel, must come to terms with betrayals, the nature of commitment, and her own spiritual needs and values. Reprint. Tour. NHT.

Genres: Fiction, Jewish, Roman, Novels, Judaica, Literature, Religion

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Pearl Abraham is the author of the novels The Romance Reader and Giving Up America, and the editor of the Dutch anthology Een Sterke Vrouw: Jewish Heroines in Literature. Her work has appeared in Brooklyn Noir, The Michigan Quarterly, Religion in America, Dog Culture: Writers on the Character of Canines, and Forward.

Reviews

[Annet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I need to read this one again. I see three stars but do remember liking this one and this author...

[MaryannC Victorian Dreamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this before I joined Goodreads and I read it a few times because I own the book. What I have to say about this is that Pearl Abraham is a fine writer, but this story is like a aimless wandering for me. The main character just seemed to let things happen in her life and in her marriage. She just didnt seem to care about where things were going for her. Maybe that's the gist of the character, but sometimes it was aggravating, like I wanted to shout at her and say *Do something already!".

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit aimless, as others have said. I wanted to shake Deena and Daniel. There was not much Jewishness in it at all, which might have made it more interesting. Discussions of watching paint dry are as interesting as they sound. I can hear renovation stories from friends and family, I don't need to read about them. It was readable, in an unexciting way. If what you want is meandering introspection, go for it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm surprised I even finished this book. I think I kept waiting for it to get better. It never did.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked The Romance Reader a whole lot better.

[evelyn taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey, your story honestly blew me away. It had such strong imagery that I could picture every scene as if it were playing out in front of me. The dialogue, pacing, and character expressions were all so vivid, it already feels halfway to being a comic.

I’m a commission artist who works with authors to adapt their stories into Webtoons, comics, and manga, and yours instantly stood out to me as something that could look absolutely stunning in that format.

If you’re down or want to see my work, you can find me on Discord (eve_verse).

Regards,
Evelyn

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know why, but I still think about this book even though I finished it two years ago. The writing is melancholic, reflecting the disintegration of the character's marriage over the span of a few years. Sometimes "love" is not really love. I feel the angst for sure, a story of two broken people.

[Nancy Houlihan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of the disintegration of a marriage, it seems to paint both husband and wife as rudderless, still searching. They seemingly both turn their backs on the strictures of Jewish life, but one ends the book wondering if they will both return to some semblance of what they have so thoughtlessly discarded.

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to give up on this book. The thing I was interested in was the Jewish culture but the main character did not live out her faith. She was mean and so was her husband. I did not see any love between them at all. Dislikable people.

[Maria de Kruijf · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Stellen hadden hun goeie momenten. Dat was zeker zo. Dat gold ook voor het leven. Af en toe was er een goed moment.” (p. 110)

[Linda Dickinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a poorly written and boring story. I’m not sure why I finished reading it other than that I kept hoping it would get better.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book's description was deceptive, as it promises an in-depth look at Orthodox Jewish life through the eyes of its narrator, Deena. The book follows the daily life of a couple seeking to establish themselves in marriage as well as a home. I think the book's focus was on ethnic Judaism versus religious Jewish life. I found Deena less religious in America in comparison to her husband, Daniel. Her religion becomes running, if anything. As the couple attempts to achieve the American Dream, through work, home, and branching out to new companions, that ruins their marriage.
In the beginning, in Part One and Two, neither are religious. It is the household, and house, which they establish together that begins Daniel's attempt to root himself in his faith - he joins a synagogue. The house fails to do this, it divides the couple as life's complication begins to stress their marriage. I found towards Part Three and Four of the novel that as Daniel drew away from his faith, by losing his marriage, his failure to adhere to kosher law, and his frequenting synagogue each Sabbath morning. Just as Daniel leaves his faith, Deena returns to hers by returning home to Jerusalem and to a Hasidic home, which is rooted in faith. Perhaps it is this lack of faith that Deena and Daniel's marriage and house was built on that leads to the deterioration of their marriage.
I was interested in a true in-depth look into Orthodox or Hasidic life, which is largely the antithesis of the American Dream, withdrawn and separated from American life and the pull of its culture. I would have thought the title lead to the couple making aaliyah to Israel and seeking acceptance and a new life in Israel.

[Stefanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

i didn't appreciate that there didn't seem to be any definites in the plot- couldn't tell when the conflict started and ended and i didn't see any growth in any of the characters...one could argue that this makes the book realistic since this is how life is, which may be true, but it didn't make for an enjoyable read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started reading this book. I hated everything about it. I stopped after the 3rd chapter maybe. I didn't like the direction in where it seemed to be going. It was very boring and I hope not all of her books are like this.

[hagar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat depressing, believable story of the dissolution of a marriage, because of differences of faith and belief.

[Greta Vercruyce · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story of a marriage breaking down, told by the wife. The characters in this book do not really come to live, actually I was a bit bored by the marriage /story too..!

[Hanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

a little dull.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Singlehood anthem for women. Loved it!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The slow demise of a marriage

[Kelli Rose Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright. I finished it. There was just never anything exciting that happened and it took awhile to get used to the way the author writes dialogue.

[Inno van Lieshout · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goed geschreven boek waarbij je als lezer inzicht krijgt in de gemeenschap van chassidische joden in New York City, zeker voor wat betreft de positie van de vrouw.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

another mediocre book from the free book place. what's with these free books?

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

contemporary Orthodox Jewish woman copes.

[Michelle]

Read this in 1999 when I kept a paper reading journal. Didn't love it.