num_pages: 272
description: A small, close-knit Orthodox Jewish community in London is the setting for a revealing look at religion and sexuality in Alderman's frank yet heartfelt debut novel, Disobedience. The story begins with the death of the community's esteemed rabbi, which sets in motion plans for a memorial service and the search for a replacement. The rabbi's nephew and likely successor, Dovid, calls his cousin Ronit in New York to tell her that her father has died. Ronit, who left the community long ago to build a life for herself as a career woman, returns home when she hears the news, and her reappearance exposes tears in the fabric of the community.Steeped in Jewish philosophy and teachings, Disobedience is a perceptive and thoughtful exploration of the laws and practices that have governed Judaism for centuries, and continue to hold sway today. Throughout the novel, Alderman retells stories from the Torah -- Judaism's fundamental source -- and the interplay between these tales and the struggles of the novel's unique characters wields enormous power and wisdom, and will surely move readers to tears. Alderman's greatest feat is in combining her extensive knowledge of Judaism with a story that is universal. Her characters, to be sure, are Jewish, but her novel recalls works like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Scarlet Letter, as it speaks to communities and readers everywhere.
language: English
title: Title: DISOBEDIENCE
titlecomplete: Title: DISOBEDIENCE
genres: Jewish, Lesbian, LGBT, Religion, Romance, Queer, Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Judaism
ratings_count: 11712
awards: awardedAt: 1136102400000
name: Orange Prize
category: New Writers, awardedAt: 1167638400000
name: Sunday Times/Peters Fraser + Dunlop Young Writer of the Year Award, awardedAt: 1167638400000
name: Sami Rohr Prize
category: Jewish Literature
publisher: Viking