When it comes to books, there are two subjects that always interest me: New England and Judaism. The Boston Girl, the latest novel from the immensely talented and entertaining Anita Diamant, features both of these themes in an engaging, realistic way.
Most people know Anita because of The Red Tent, a biblically inspired novel. Long before I got into her fiction, I enjoyed reading her Jewish lifecycle books. (Saying Kaddish: How to Comfort the Dying, Bury the Dead, and Mourn as a Jew, in particular, was a lifesaver for me when I was dealing with the death of my father in 2004.)
The Boston Girl is told from the perspective of Addie Baum, an 85-year-old grandmother, who is recalling her life in a heart-to-heart with her 22-year-old granddaughter. Her poignant tale beings in the early 1900s, when she was born to Russian immigrant parents, who lived in a poor section of the North End.
The harsh descriptions of tenement life and the limited roles for women during that age are so vivid! Anita’s writing always creates strong female characters who are desperate to break out of strict gender roles and experience life to the fullest, in their own ways. Addie dreams big—of new places, her own job, and love. She is brave enough to seek them out, but it’s not an easy path.
The attention to historical detail is exceptional, and the reader can’t help but be drawn into the Baum family, their neighborhood, and the early 20th century experience. Anyone who enjoys leafing though family scrap books will love it.
This book struck a chord with me because it reminded me of my own family. My grandmother and her 3 sisters grew up in a Boston suburb (Lawrence) around this time, and definitely shared a similar experience. All of them have been gone for many years now and they are so dearly missed! I wish I could have a conversation like Addie and her granddaughter did.
The Boston Girl gets 5 stars from me!
