A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life

I've been reading many YA books these days and, while I've enjoyed a good many of them, few have really inspired me. A Brief Chapter in my Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt changed that pattern, and left me feeling truly happy and fulfilled...I would even go so far as to say that it filled me with a kind of peace. It's a simple story about a Simone, teenage girl whose life is interrupted when she is given the opportunity to meet the woman who gave her up for adoption, 16 years earlier. As a liberal, avowed atheist, Simone is surprised to learn that her mother came from an orthodox Jewish family. The two meet and forge a quick bond, prompting Simone to re-examine what she thought she knew about herself, her family, and the idea of a show more spiritual life.
Reinhardt managed to write a truly feel good story without being preachy or sentimental, and she writes Simone's voice with such a familiar, warm quality. I wanted the story to go on and on. show less

Simone has always known that she was adopted, but she never has any interest in knowing more about her birth parents. Then one day her birth mother Rivka calls and Simone begins to learn the story behind her birth. Her birth mother was a Hasidic Jew and still keeps up Jewish tradition. Simone, who has always considered herself an atheist, begins to examine her faith and question her beliefs. The narrative voice is totally awesome. Simone is smart and funny. Although it deals with serious subject matter, the tone is not depressing. This is one of my top picks for a Printz!

Engaging story because the voice is so authentic. This girl has the maturity to know that sometimes even within brief chapters of your life, there can be turns in the road that color the rest of the trip. I admired this spunky soul even as she stumbles through a lot of unfamiliar territory...like a Jewish birth mother she's never met.

“A Brief Chapter” is told from the point of view of 16-year-old Simone. A cursory glance at Simone’s life would make it seem like everything is going well, but her biological mother, whom she has never met, suddenly wants to speak with her. At first Simone resists her adopted parents’ pleas that she talk to Rivka, her biological mother who was just 16 when she found out she was pregnant. However, Simone finally decides to call up Rivka and ends up becoming friends with Rivka within a short time. This friendship, among other things, has Simone questioning her thoughts about God – her adopted parents are atheists and Simone thinks she is one, too, until she learns about Judaism through Rivka’s example. The story is an show more interesting take on a teenager’s quest for identity, but somehow it did not thrill me. Simone’s voice never felt quite right to me and while Reinhardt’s writing style isn’t bad, it isn’t stellar either. show less

A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt - It took me a couple tries to get into this one, but once I did, I was hooked. Sixteen year old Simone is confronted with the possibility of meeting her birth mother, an introduction she does not want nor relish. Once they meet, however, their relationship becomes precious, but is ended abruptly by Rivka’s death. At first, I found Simone petulant and annoying, but she grew on me after awhile. I particularly liked her confrontations with the Evil Bitch outside the coffee shop and at the ACLU rally. What unsettled me about this story was the number of budding relationships the author was juggling –Simone and Rivka, Simone and the boyfriend, Cleo and Darius — too many to show more develop properly. I also thought the Orthodox family was one-dimensional, although I loved how Rivka introduced Simone to the parts of her faith and ritual that were important to her. Simone’s struggle with atheism versus faith was handled well, although I think it could have been developed more. show less

Simone has always been very comfortable in her family, despite the fact that she looks nothing like the rest of them. Simone is adopted and has known this all her life, but has chosen not to learn about the other side of her family tree. Things change, however, when Rivka, Simone’s birth mother, calls and wants to meet with Simone. Why now? As Simone, at first reluctantly, moves down this path, she begins to question her understanding of family, faith and life. This funny and sad story is told in a very authentic teen voice, but I think it’s a story that will appeal to adults as well.

Simone is adopted and, like my own adopted son, has very little (if any) desire to discover her biological parents. She has her own life and her own problems. She loves her adopted parents and sees little reason to search for parents she has never known. When Rivka, her birth mother, shows up in her life, Simone is annoyed, but soon discovers some very unexpected blessings. Rivka is Jewish and comes from a very orthodox upbringing. Reinhardt has written a book to show teens eager to write about their own faith traditions. Usually when teens write about faith, there is nothing in the writing to distinguish the student’s faith and beliefs from those of a thousand or more other students. Reinhardt incorporates writing about faith in a show more way that personalizes it and, consequently, makes it more powerful and universal. Read this book with a box of tissues handy. Highly recommended for middle school and high school libraries. show less