Set in a Jewish household and written in the first person, Yeshiva Girl by Rachel Mankowitz is a novel on the difficult topic of incest. It is well worth the read.
The book’s main character, Isabel, is a 15 y.o. girl grappling with the range of emotions the trauma of her father’s sexual advances produced in her. Not surprisingly, the sexual abuse and family dysfunction profoundly impact her sense of self-worth.
Rachel tells this poignant story in a simple, straightforward manner. We experience Isabel’s isolation, her confusion and inner turmoil. We come to know her sorrows, anxieties, and disappointments. We feel her suppressed rage.
What distinguishes this book is the author’s examination through Isabel’s eyes of the place of religion in sexual abuse. Isabel’s father professes to be an observant Jew, yet clearly feels no compunction about molesting her. Her mother and grandmother have not rescued her. Continue reading
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