BOOKS
FOR BIBLIOPHILE
BEACHGOERS MARISSA STERN | JE STAFF
ven if you — like me — are not the biggest fan of the sticky
heat of summer, there are few things more enjoyable than
sitting outside with a good book and reading.
One of the best places to do that? The beach.
Plop me on the beach with a book, and I’ll be satisfied for
hours. And at least one thing summer is good for is the endless
supply of new books to read as you sit in a beach chair with a
healthy dose of SPF and perhaps a Chipwich.
Both 2016 and 2017 — so far — have offered a vast array of
reads by Jewish authors (some local!) or with Jewish characters
and storylines that will fit in perfectly with your beach aesthetic,
whether you’re on the sandy shores of Bermuda or Ocean City. Be
it a memoir, fiction, romance, thriller or any genre in between,
here a few selections of some new(ish) books that are waiting to
join you in the sun.
E FICTION
For fiction fans, there are tons of options, whether you want to be
whisked away to London or Rio.
And We’re Off by Dana Schwartz
This quick, breezy debut by Dana Schwartz follows aspiring
artist Nora as she heads to Europe on a mission from her
acclaimed artist grandfather before going
to an Irish artists’ colony — joined at the
last minute by her mother, with whom she
has a strained relationship. Riddled with
teenage angst, romance (with a cute Irish
boy, no less) and vivid scenery of destina-
tions in Paris and beyond, And We’re Off
provides a fun, escapist read that will make
you want to hug your mother and traipse
around Europe.
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Modern Girls by Jennifer S. Brown
This 2016 novel follows a mother and daughter in New York City’s
Jewish immigrant community in 1935 — and they both happen to
be pregnant. Dottie is trying to be
modern with her steady boyfriend and
bookkeeper job, while Rose yearns to
return to the activist roots of her youth.
Both women’s situations alter their
lives and change their worlds in this
read that switches between both
women’s narration, shining a light on
their feelings and taking you along
each journey.
Ways to Disappear by Idra Novey
The winner of the 2017 Sami Rohr
Prize for Jewish Literature, Novey’s
debut novel centers on the disappear-
ance of Beatriz Yagoda, once one of
Brazil’s most celebrated authors, and
her translator Emma, who tries to solve the mystery with Yagoda’s
son and daughter. The novel has gained accolades from BuzzFeed
to NPR and will surely satisfy your literary needs while whisking
you away to Rio.
The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff
For fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, The Orphan’s Tale is
a powerful story of survival and sacrifice against the backdrop of
a traveling circus during World War II. It tells the story of two
women, Noa and Astrid, a 16-year-old cast out after being
impregnated by a Nazi soldier and being forced to give up her
baby and the lead aerialist with whom she develops first a rivalry
and then a friendship.
THIS SUMMER
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
Name: Rydal Park c/o Universal Media
Width: 3.625"
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Comment: 6/8 THIS SUMMER MAG
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ŕÇTļĹŕĹçTïę The Lost Letter by Jillian Cantor
This June 2017 release takes place in
the 1930s and 1980s. Kristoff is an
apprentice to a Jewish stamp engraver
— and his daughter for whom Kristoff
falls — in Austria who becomes forced
to engrave stamps for the Germans
after Kristallnacht. Decades later, as
Katie Nelson goes through a stamp
collection of her father’s that she discov-
ers, she is sent on an unexpected journey.
As one of the area’s premier Life Plan
Communities, Rydal Park is more than a
place to live. It’s a place where people
62 and better can explore favorite
interests, form new friendships and feel
vibrantly alive. Come see why life at
Stay Where I Can See You by Lori Miller
Using adorable cartoons, local M.O.T. author Miller’s children’s
book incorporates nature and the concept of kindness to share a
story about the challenges faced by a family of turtles — mama
and hatchlings — as they attempt to stay together. Safety is the key
in this book, which will surely entice parents as the summer
approaches and playground and water safety is on the brain.
MEMOIR If reading about other people’s nonfiction lives is more your style,
here are a few that should grab your attention.
Rydal Park is
The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy
“When Ariel Levy left for a reporting trip to
Mongolia in 2012, she was pregnant, married,
financially secure, and successful on her own terms.
A month later, none of that was true.” Such is how
Amazon introduces the description for the memoir
by The New Yorker’s Levy, who will take you on a
whirlwind journey through her life in a book whose
colorful cover will be perfect for Instagram.
Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love,
and Writing by Jennifer Weiner
Philadelphia’s Weiner is one of those novelists who you often feel
is talking with you as a friend rather than an author. And her set
of essays is no different. Honest and hilarious, Weiner shares inti-
mate stories about her life in ways that will feel like you’re sitting
at brunch with her talking about sex and body issues over
mimosas. Though, I’ll be honest, her middle-grade book The
Littlest Bigfoot is a joy to read as well, even if you’re not the
intended 8- to 10-year-old audience.
ŖvĒĻËõîTààŘĹĮĒËĩËĻęĹ Exceptional. Without Exception.
Introducing our exciting new cottage
expansion, Rydal Waters!
1515 The Fairway, Rydal, PA 19046 | 215-814-0420
Find our fascinating events schedule
at RydalPark.org or RydalWaters.org.
See Books, Page 14
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