By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

Rom-com

I am a ginormous fan of Jean Meltzer’s rom-coms. (Yes, I know some people don’t consider ginormous a real word, but it is listed as one in the Oxford Language and the Merriam-Webster dictionaries.) The fact that I’m using a fancy word, rather than just saying I’m a big fan, shows how much I really like her work. To put this in perspective, I almost never buy or read rom-coms outside of those I review for the paper, but I know I would buy Meltzer’s if I couldn’t get a review copy. Of course, you never know when an author’s streak of excellence might end. Fortunately “The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah,” which is the author’s fifth book, does not disappoint. 
“The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah” contains one of Meltzer’s standard literary tropes: a heroine with a health issue. In this case, it’s Evelyn Schwartz, who suffers from violent migraines. That, however, does not stop her from being a successful television producer who is about to produce the most important work of her career: a live TV version of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” complete with large puppets and a major performing star. Evelyn only has eight days to pull this off, which is complicated by the fact that the star of the show will only attend the last few rehearsals. What she doesn’t need during this stressful time are emotional complications.
However, this is a rom-com and complications must occur or there would be no book. It turns out that Evelyn’s ex-husband, David Adler, is filling in for the studio’s doctor, who has a family emergency in India. Their marriage ended on a very sour note and the two have not seen each other since David moved out of their home. Since the show Evelyn is producing contains ghosts of the past, after Evelyn has an accident with the piano on sound stage, she is visited by eight nights of Hanukkah ghosts who force her to deal with the pain she’s buried and which has isolated her from those she loves. 
This plot summary makes the novel sound more serious than it is, though. Where Meltzer excels is creating laugh-out-loud funny moments, in addition to ones that will bring tears to readers’ eyes. At first, it seemed impossible to bring together two people as disparate as Evelyn and David, even though it’s clear they still love each other. However, Meltzer found a balance, one that offers a different kind of rom-com ending, but one that still satisfies. 

Motherhood

Having children can greatly change the dynamics of a family in both good and bad ways. That’s clear from Lihi Lapid’s “I Wanted to Be Wonderful” (Zibby Publishing), which tells the story of two mothers: one based on the author, who has a daughter with autism, and a second woman, known as the princess, who comes to discover that her fairy tale’s happily-ever-after-ending was only part of the story. The author’s chapters of the novel are told in the first person, while those of the princess and her prince are presented in the third person.

What is clear is that motherhood was not what either of these women expected. One of the biggest challenges was that both women decided that they wanted to stay home with their children rather than return to paid work after their maternity leave. They both felt that nothing they could do was as important as being with their children. Of course, this feeling changed over time as both realized that a life completely focused on their children couldn’t satisfy all their needs. What complicates matters are their unrealistic expectations about their spouses’ contributions. It was particularly poignant when the princess realized that she and her prince now lived such separate lives that they are no longer able “to see the needs of the other, or how hard the other one is trying.” That they both were coping alone and no longer finding pleasure in each other’s company was heartbreaking.
“I Wanted to Be Wonderful” is perfect for book clubs interested in novels about family life. It should also be read by anyone thinking of having children because it will help them understand the pitfalls that they could face and, hopefully, help them avoid them. Women who have already started their families will find the lessons the novel teaches important, too, particularly about how women judge themselves and others unfairly in order to feel like they, too, are important and wonderful. 

Italy in World War II and today

Life is messy and we’re all just doing the best we can. That’s a difficult lesson to learn, especially for someone Jewish who lived through World War II. In “The Rebel Girls of Rome” by Jordyn Taylor (Harper), Lilah Tepper and her grandfather Ralph Mosseri are visiting Italy to learn more about a locket that may have belonged to Ralph’s sister, Bruna. Lilah, who is mourning the recent death of her mother, hopes the trip will help her learn what happened to her grandfather during the war, something he’s always refused to speak about it. Tommaso Reni, who found the locket and contacted Lilah, has learned the jewelry once belonged to his great-grandmother. He’s hoping the meeting will encourage his grandmother Carla to explain its history.
The novel also tells Bruna’s story, who, unknown to Ralph, escaped the Nazi round-up of Jewish families. She felt so guilty about having survived that she joined a resistance group. However, their actions are dangerous since the Nazis torture or kill any members of the resistance they discover. Bruna, though, feels being part of the resistance is the only way she can atone for what she sees as her sin of survival when most of her family died. 
To say more would spoil the surprises to be found in “The Rebel Girls of Rome.” This is the rare novel about World War II that manages to make the present feel as important as the past. In her “Author’s Note,” Taylor explains which details are real and which came from her imagination. This talented author made both feel real and moving. 

#Me Too and more

One moment can change your life. That’s only one of the lessons that Hazel, a senior in high school, learns in “Hazel Says No” by Jessica Berger Gross (Hanover Square Press). The Blum family has recently moved from Brooklyn to a small college town in Maine where Hazel’s father, Gus, was offered a tenured job at a small university. The increase in pay allows Gus to pay off some of their debts and will help with college tuition for Hazel and her brother Wolf, who is in middle school. Gus’ wife Claire is OK with the move because she hopes to start her own clothing line. While neither Hazel nor Wolf are thrilled, Hazel figures it’s only one year before she is off to college and on her own.
However, things change when the school principal asks Hazel to have sex with him, noting that every year he picks one student to do that. He also promises to help her get into the college of her choice, along with a threat of what will happen if she doesn’t. As the title suggests, Hazel says no and the repercussion are felt throughout her family and the community, many of whom side with the principal once it becomes publicly known that he’s been accused of soliciting sex from a student. In a town this small, it’s impossible for Hazel’s identity not to be revealed. The negative reactions included antisemitic ones, which are particularly disturbing for Hazel and her parents.
Life is also not easy for the other members of the family. Gus makes a mistake in his initial lecture at the college because he was so upset about Hazel he didn’t have time to prepare. That leads to worries he will lose his job. Claire can’t find inspiration to do anything but worry about Hazel. Wolf’s chance for friends and success at school are also affected by what happened to Hazel. Hazel goes into a spiral of self-hate and depression that is only stopped when she goes completely public about what happened to her during an event she attends at the college. What happens next completely overturns her life. However, Hazel then faces another dilemma: how much does she want that one moment to shape the rest of her life, even if accepting the offers that come her way could lead to unexpected success.
Reading the opening chapters of “Hazel Says No” felt like watching a train wreck: you can see what’s going to happen, but there’s no way to stop it. However, rather than being one-note about the #Me Too Movement, the author introduces a number of different dilemmas Hazel and her family face, something that would make this an excellent work for book clubs. Gross also managed to answer questions that rose in my mind while reading the novel, but to be more specific would spoil the plot surprises. While the book is aimed at adults, it would also be worthwhile reading for those in high school, although parents may want to discuss what occurs with their teens.