I Am Forbidden (2012)

I am mystified by meandering rivers. I've never seen one in person, but I've seen photos and these have grabbed my attention. Part of what makes these rivers so beautiful are their wide arcs back and forth. If you were on any point of one of these rivers, you'd see things differently. You might, at first, think the river that flowed parallel to yours was a different river that would eventually merge with your own.

Much in the same way, I Am Forbidden meanders through scenery that is beautiful heading for a destination that seems clear one moment, then changes. Zoom out and you'll find a story that looks similar to this river. A story that goes this way, then that. It's more than 2/3 of the way through the novel before the story—the real story at the heart of this novel—begins to come into focus.

Some will see this as poor planning. Others may see it as the writer's style, or maybe they'll propose an underlying theme in the drifting story. I'm not sure why Markovits covered such a broad range in a novel that could have been much more focused, but it's not something your average writer would undertake. To be clear, I Am Forbidden has a focal point in a small cast of characters, but the places they go, the events they experience, so much of it doesn't seem necessary to the story itself. So, in my opinion, it may be a little too easy for a reader to scratch their head for more than 200 pages and think “Where is this story going?” And for some readers that sort of thinking may mean putting the book aside for an indefinite period of time.

Once the story becomes clear, however, it does stay focused. It's a good story and the insight it gives the reader into a Hasidic Jewish family makes it well worth it. It is a heartbreaking story, but I think had more time been spent with these last hundred pages it would've been much more affective; the farther from the story I move, the less memorable it becomes.

( )

I found this interesting, yet disturbing. The story begins in Transylvania in 1939 and tells the story of Zalman & Hannah, Mila and Josef and Atara. The Satmar Hassidic community and their religious teachings cause a rift between Zalman and his daughter Atara. The infertility of Mila and her transgression cause a rift between Mila and Josef, who love each other intensely, but are restricted in this love. The transgression ultimately causes the death of Josef, and Josef and Mila's granddaughter, Judith. Atara is reunited with her mother but her father won't see her. Ultimitely, Atara reunites with Josef's foster mother to bring the story full circle. ( )

The story begins with the twisted fates of the Heller and Stern families in Hungary during WWII, and how Zalman Stern rescues two children, Mila and Josef. The second part of the book is about the two sisters, Atara and Mila, and their life growing up in a strict Hasidic community in Paris. Mila is obedient and content, but Atara burns for an education and freedom. After Mila's marriage, Atara leaves the community and disappears. Book three is about Mila's life as a newlywed in a new Hasidic community in America. Already isolated from her family and home, Mila feels more and more desperate that she has not yet conceived. In the next book, Mila and her husband struggle in their marriage, and Mila become increasingly obsessed with learning the truth behind her childhood wartime memories. The final book closes the circle with Atara meeting Mila's daughter in the present day.

Despite some hard to believe coincidences, I found much to like in this, the author's second book, and first in English. The story is page turning, and the descriptions of life in a Hasidic community were interesting. The author herself was brought up in a Satmar home in France and left her family and community in order to get an education, so there is authenticity behind her words. I wish, however, that the story of Atara had been told more completely. Atara disappears from the story in 1957, and makes a brief appearance at the end of the book in 2005, but with little of the back story filled in. I liked Atara's determination and strength and would like to have known how she fared after leaving everything she knew. But perhaps that story will be revealed if the author writes a memoir. ( )

A poignant story about a young Satmar girl who lieaves the religion and her family and yet still remains emotionally attached to them. It is a novel with the most interesting characters whose dilemmas tug at your heartstrings and whose aspirations for each other stir your senses. This novel has everything, confilict, laughter, sadness and resolve. A beautifully written narrative, you will be recommending it to others. ( )

This book a very powerful read and pulled me in from the very beginning. This intimate look at the tragedy of the Holocaust from the perspective of two families was moving and engrossing. I eagerly followed the story of Josef, Mila and Atara as they grew to adulthood, hoping that all would be well for these people who so desperately deserved some happiness.

It is hard to explain my concerns with the novel without giving away too much of the plot, but essentially halfway through the book, one of the main characters disappeared from the narrative not to re-emerge for decades. Because Atara dropped away form the story, I was left feeling that the story was incomplete. Josef and Mila's tale is tragic and compelling but I wanted also to learn about how Atara dealt with the choices she made. I was also dissatisfied with the end of the book which was just too bleak for me.

Well-written and compelling, this story was nonetheless incomplete for me. ( )