By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

“Jackpot Summer”

Elyssa Friedland specializes in stories about dysfunctional families. What is different about her approach is that readers find themselves liking her characters, even when they are acting badly, because, no matter how much they squabble, they truly care for each other. That was true for two of her previous novels that were reviewed in this paper – “The Floating Feldmans” (www.thereportergroup.org/features/off-the-shelf-a-wedding-and-vacation-by-rabbi-rachel-esserman-342457) and “Last Summer at the Golden Hotel” (www.thereportergroup.org/book-reviews/off-the-shelf-summer-novels) – and of her latest work, “Jackpot Summer” (Berkley), which focuses on the four Jacobson children. 
Gathering at the family beach house after unveiling their mother’s gravestone, these adult children are distressed to learn their father is selling the property and moving to Florida. They already miss their mother, who was always present in their lives, giving advice and offering suggestions. Now it feels like they are also losing their father. Their distress is complicated by problems in their personal lives: Matthew, the eldest, hates his job as a corporate lawyer. Laura, the next eldest, is not only facing empty nest syndrome as her second child heads to college, but marital difficulties. Sophie teaches art to grade school children, leaving her little time for her own artistic endeavors. Noah, the baby, has never settled into a regular job, doing tech work while living in his parents’ beach house, where at least he doesn’t have to pay rent. 
When the Jacobson’s gather to pack up the beach house, Noah and his sisters purchase a Powerball ticket, which to their surprise wins. But that leaves them with a dilemma: do they share the money with the already rich Matthew who emphatically did not want to buy a ticket. In addition to causing divisions between the siblings, the win changes their lives in ways they didn’t expect, and not always for the best. Will this once close-knit family be able to survive not only the loss of their mother, but the problems that riches can bring? 
Although the Jacobsons are a dysfunctional family, readers will root for them to overcome their difficulties. Yes, they are a mess before and after the lottery win, but they are also genuinely good people. Watching them grow and learn made “Jackpot Summer” a pleasure to read. 

“Swimming with Ghosts”

For many people, friends play as important a role in their lives as do families. That’s true of two of the main characters in “Swimming With Ghosts” by Michelle Brafman (Keylight Books/Turner Publishing). In 2012, Gillian Cloud and Kristy Weinstein seem to have the perfect friendship. They bonded over their connection to the River Run swim club where two of their children are involved in the swim team that meets there. Yet, when the unexpected occurs, each woman finds herself revisiting parts of her past that she thought would remain buried.
Gillian’s demons rear their heads when her husband loses his job and becomes coach of the swim team. The team has been a major part of her life since she was young, connected to her relationship with her abusive father, an abuse she’s never really faced. Kristy also faces demons from her childhood. Although she converted and married into a Jewish family, she doesn’t feel like she really belongs. When she unexpectedly learns the identity of her father, something her late mother never revealed, it completely upsets her life. It also revives her addiction to love, which she thought was under control. What then occurs threatens both her marriage and her friendship with Gillian.
What makes “Swimming With Ghosts” work is that its characters are working to create good lives and relationships, even if they, at first, fail in the attempt. The author does an excellent job making each character believable and sympathetic, even when they don’t behave appropriately. Sections of the novel will leave readers feeling that a train wreck is coming, but knowing there is no way to stop it. Yet, it was impossible to look away, or, in this case, to stop turning pages to discover what would happen. 

“The Council of Wise Women” 

Enjoy Yiddish humor? Fond of the wise citizens of Chelm whose actions make people laugh? Then you’ll enjoy Izzy Abrahmson’s latest Chelm work “The Council of Wise Women” (Light Publications). This is the second book of his that I’ve read and it was as much fun as the first one. (To read The Reporter’s review of “The Village Twins,” visit www.thereportergroup.org/book-reviews/celebrating-jewish-literature-the-prague-ghetto-and-chelm.) 
“The Council of Wise Women” also opens with the birth of twins, but this time, they are a boy and a girl. However, the birth of Rachel and Isaac Cohen is the beginning of the end of their parents’ marriage. When her husband Benjamin wants her to pretend that Isaac was born first, Sarah begins to resent him. Benjamin, however, has no idea that his favoring his son and barely thinking about his daughter has any effect on their relationship. But the secret (well, a secret from the men) Council of Wise Women that Sarah becomes a member of is what really changes her life. Although the village school is only attended by boys, Rachel is far smarter than her brother and wants to learn. By careful, and some not so careful, machinations, the women of the village arrange for Rachel to attend school. That means life in the village is forever changed.
What makes “The Council of Wise Women” fun is not so much the plot, but the interaction of its many characters. These include Mrs. Chaipul who not only runs the village restaurant, but serves as its doctor and midwife. Even the men worry about crossing her, which means she has a great deal of power. There is also Oma Levitsky, who knows almost everything about everyone and makes “The Soup,” which has the magical power to heal people. Numerous male characters run through the novel’s pages, many for comic effect. Also comic are the footnotes that explain the Yiddish words, but which also contain commentary on the actions of the characters. This is one of the rare novels whose glossary is worth reading, even if you know the meaning of the Yiddish and Hebrew terms. While parts of the plot will strike readers as completely unbelievable, that’s part of the fun. After all, this is a novel about Chelm, whose men once tried to capture the moon in a well.