Hush
Eishes Chayil
Walker
<p>Inside the closed community of Borough Park, where most Chassidim live, the rules people live by are determined by an ancient script written thousands of years ago—and abuse has never been a part of it. But when thirteen-yearold Gittel learns that her best friend has suffered abuse at the hands of a family member, the adults in her community try to persuade Gittel, and themselves, that nothing happened. Forced to remain silent, Gittel begins to question everything she was raised to believe. This nuanced exploration of a complex world—one of humor, understanding, and horror—illuminates the conflict between yesterday’s traditions and today’s reality.</p>From School Library Journal<p>Gr 8 Up–After six long years, Gittel is still haunted by her friend's suicide. Now 17, she knows what happened to Devory and why, but their ultra-Orthodox Jewish community has refused to accept the truth. The incest that led to Devory's death is not acknowledged, because "that doesn't happen in our community." This thoughtful, disturbing, and insightful novel provides an insider's view of an insular society that denies the reality of rape and oppression within its ranks. Gittel is poised to be married to a good man, the best fate she can obtain. The present action of the story is the unfolding of Gittel's arranged marriage, from negotiations between the families and her only meeting with her intended groom, to the wedding ceremony, young married life and the birth of her first child. But the plot revolves around her internal struggles to reconcile her faith and culture with the awful secrets that she knows and has witnessed. Her own purity–and therefore desirability–is linked to her silence. Speaking out carries too high a cost in a society in which the appearance of holiness and probity is everything. Family and social life within today's Chassidic community are portrayed with affection for the warmth and the enduring values but with a clear eye for the vulnerability of the young and the hurt. When Gittel finally does try to tell her friend's story, she comes up against the powerful men of the community. It is fitting that it is through the written word that both Gittel and the author are able to speak for the Devorys of the world.<em>Carolyn Lehman, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA</em><br>© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. </p>From Booklist<p>In this stunning debut, Chayil (a pseudonym) takes readers into a cloistered society and exposes its secrets. Moving back and forth between 2003 and the present, Gittel, living in a Brooklyn Hasidic community, remembers her best friend, Devory. Her family seemed like any other, lots of children, ultrareligious, but one night when Gittel sleeps over, she watches as Devory’s brother forces Devory to do something under the covers. Gittel doesn’t understand. This is a community where teenagers in arranged marriages don’t learn about sex until days before the wedding. But when Devory hangs herself and the community covers up the reasons, Gittel is haunted by the girl she couldn’t help. Taken from an incident in her own life, Chayil’s cri de coeur might as easily have been published as an adult book. She does, however, have a wonderful way of getting inside a child’s head. Readers may have trouble with the story’s frequent Yiddish phrases and be shocked by its casual fear and hatred of “goyland.” But this is powerful stuff and a glimpse into places not often seen. Grades 10-12. --Ilene Cooper </p></br>