Synopses & Reviews
From a striking new voice comes a novel tracing the lives of four American women who are part of a unique Jewish tradition in their coastal village in Northern Israel: they prepare and dress women for burial, as they grow in friendship and marriages, learn to accept death, and to appreciate the sorrows and wonders of life.
In the seaside village of Peleg, four American women have emigrated to Israel for very different reasons. Lauren has come for the love of her Israeli husband, yet misses her life in Boston every single day, resenting the sunny “land of reptiles and rocks.” Seeking a new life after divorce, her vivacious friend Emily follows. Aviva, brought to Israel years earlier by intelligence work, has raised a family and now lost a son to war. And Rachel, a bright young college student, comes in search of adventure.
As their intertwined stories unfold, each woman finds the joys promised by the beauty of the land, in new life, first love, motherhood, and friendship, supporting each other through irrevocable changes, navigating the pressures of marriage, illicit romance, the loss of a child, and, the unthinkable backdrop for this paradise—war. Through moments of humor and sorrow, each woman takes part in the ultimate act of compassion, helping to close the circle of life.
Brimming with wisdom and intelligence, A Remarkable Kindness is a moving testament to womens friendship and capturing the paradoxes and promises of the land they learn to call home.
Review
“Bletter brings this quartet of complex, gutsy, smart, passionate women to life with rare delicacy and depth . . . Loss and endings are part of this novels rich fabric. Gracefully written scenes . . . such respect and tenderness. ” Janice Steinberg, author of < i=""> The Tin Horse <>
Synopsis
Through a largely hidden ceremony . . . four friends discover the true meaning of life
It's 2006 in a seaside village in Israel, where a war is brewing. Lauren, Emily, Aviva and Rachel, four memorable women from different backgrounds, are drawn to the village. Lauren, a maternity nurse, loves her Israeli doctor husband but struggles to make a home for herself in a foreign land thousands of miles away from her beloved Boston. Seeking a fresh start after a divorce, her vivacious friend Emily follows. Strong, sensuous Aviva, brought to Israel years earlier by intelligence work, has raised a family and now lost a son. And Rachel, a beautiful, idealistic college graduate from Wyoming, arrives with her hopeful dreams.
The women forge a friendship that sustains them as they come to terms with love and loss, and the outbreak of war. Their intimate bond is strengthened by their participation in a traditional ritual that closes the circle of life. As their lives are slowly transformed, each finds unexpected strength and resilience.
Brimming with wisdom, rich in meaningful insights, A Remarkable Kindness is a moving testament to women's friendship, illuminating a mostly unknown ritual that underscores what it means to truly be alive.
About the Author
Diana Bletter is a writer whose work has appeared in a wide variety of publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Commentary. Her first book, The Invisible Thread: A Portrait of Jewish American Women, with photographs by Lori Grinker, was shortlisted for a National Jewish Book Award. In 1991, she moved from New York to a seaside village in northern Israel where she lives with her husband and children, and volunteers in a burial circle.