Hush

Hush
By Eishes Chayil
Walker Books for Young Readers, 2010. Fiction. 368 pgs.

Seventeen-year-old Gittel, who is an ultra-Orthodox Jew, is preparing to graduate from school and be married, as is the tradition in her culture. However, as her marriage approaches, she finds herself haunted by images and dreams of her best friend Devory, who committed suicide when the girls were ten. Gittel's family and community have pushed Devory's death--and the sexual abuse that led her to take her life--into the background of their memories, since their religious beliefs and desire to stay separate from the Gentile community encourage silence. However, increasingly disturbed by the memories that are resurfacing, Gittel has to decide how to both honor her religion and her deceased friend.

This novel was gripping from start to finish. In this fascinating look at Chassidim, the author (whose pseudonym, Eishes Chayil, means "Woman of Valor"), the author manages to convey both the negative and the positive aspects of the culture. Readers will find much to learn about the Chadissic community and gain a deeper understanding of how such abuse could be ignored--but also understand that it needs to be condemned. Gittel and Devory's story is fictional but based on real experiences from the author's childhood and on her desire to protect and help children who suffer from abuse. The book is not graphic, but at the same time, the subject matter, as well as the deep immersion in another culture (and heavy use of Yiddish phrases), might make the book more appealing to adults than teens.

AE