FEATURED JOBS
Comments (0)Within the setting of a shtetl, a small town in Russia in the last few years of the Russian Empire, this novel concerns the life of a troubled woman trying to find her way in a society where her destiny as a Jewish female is in conflict with her self-identity.
Mirel Hurvits, the only child of Reb Gedalye and Gittel Hurvits, resists the expectation of her family and community that she will marry and have children. As the reader gets to know Mirel, it becomes very clear that she is not suited for this lifestyle and that it would be a tragic mistake for her.
As the novel opens, Mirel has broken an engagement, causing tremendous financial loss for her father because of a breached agreement. Later, she reluctantly consents to marrying someone else on the condition that she can leave him if she finds herself unable to deal with her status as his wife.
Events unfold with the engagement, marriage and the feeble attempt of the couple to build a life together. Mirel becomes clinically depressed, withdraws into her room for weeks at a time, and eventually wanders off with other men. Mirel has difficult relationships with her parents and her in-laws as she keeps company with other troubled individuals. Accidentally becoming pregnant, she has someone “take care of it.” (Abortions were not legal during this time period.)
This reader found the mood of the book depressing. David Bergelson successfully paints a gloomy picture of the frustrated life of someone who feels out of place in her community. She tries to cope with her situation in destructive ways and lacks the energy and commitment to either build for herself a better life on her own terms or to make the best of her situation and find happiness in her environment.