Guests
by Miriam, May 26, 2005 5:51 PM
"You have got to read this book. The clash of cultures portrayed in this small town in Iowa is illuminating and riveting. When Orthodox Jews move into Postville and open a kosher slaughterhouse, local (and non-Jewish) Iowans figure this is just another immigrant group that will be assimilated into midwestern culture. Wrong. This group is not interested in the local culture and works diligently to maintain their separateness. As Bloom painfully points out, there is no right or wrong answer to this town's schism. The author and the entire town grapple valiantly with the issues raised but fail to find easy answers. The beauty of this book is that it presents a complex situation with no good guys or bad guys, just ordinary folks trying to get through the day."
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