Izzy wasn’t happy at her old school, not by a long shot. But she certainly wasn’t interested in going to a new school either, especially the Yeshivah that her newly-Orthodox father has chosen for her. While he claims it’s for her own good, Izzy doesn’t doubt that it had more to do with the sexual misconduct accusations against her father. Psychologically suffering from her own trauma, Izzy doesn’t know who to talk to or where to go where she can feel safe and loved, or even if such a place existed, if she’d be brave enough to settle in and stay.
Painful and relevant, Izzy’s story is one of domestic violence and religious exploration; of a girl scratching at the surface and trying to find her voice. Set among an observant Jewish community in New York, Yeshiva Girl is also about faith, about growing up and trying to figure out if what your parents do - or don’t do - is enough or too much compared to what you want for yourself. It’s about the tough questions and finding people who will listen. While this book had several minor editing errors, the writing itself is fluid and painfully beautiful at times. Izzy’s pain is compassionately drawn and surely many teens might find some strength of their own after reading her story.
Content warning: some language and sexual conversations and content (without actual sex)
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