Thursday, June 25, 2009

Not Long, Not Road, Not Home

Some books, despite relative obscurity, remain with you. There's a book like that, which I found years ago in my local library. It's about a Jewish, intermarried, radio therapist who finds Yiddish letters from her long gone grandmother. She gets the letters translated and starts on a journey that she hopes will reveal to her the secret behind the hidden wedding gown (in the attic) that she got in big trouble for donning as a child. I remember it being poetic and insightful, and I bought into the story.

The funny thing is that I often try to recall the name of the book, perhaps to recommend it. And I start thinking that it's something about the road home or the journey home. The Long Road Home? No. The Long Journey Home? Path? Still, no. I google around and become increasingly determined to find the answer, even as the results seem further and further off. After a while I remember that the phrasing is original. Yes it's something like "the long way home," but uses a fresher turn of words. Not long, not road or journey, probably not even home. But what are the title words used to convey this cliche' in an original way?

Eventually I find it. I just succeeded in this familiar ritual/scavenger hunt. I'm posting the name of the book (and recommending it) here, in part so that this post will serve as a reference for me the next time I think of this wonderful work and struggle to remember that it's The Slow Way Back. by Judy Goldman.

6 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Just read all the reviews and am going to read this one. Checking the local libraries first. Thanks for blogging about it.

June 25, 2009 at 3:48 PM  
Blogger rabbi neil fleischmann said...

Yeah, I really liked it. I found it in my local library, which was random on many levels (well, two anyway).

It stayed with me. Hope you find it and like it.

June 25, 2009 at 3:50 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

It's at my local city library, a mile from our house. Yay!

June 25, 2009 at 3:56 PM  
Anonymous Elie said...

Your post reminded me of this kind of searchlight i always keep on in the back of my head for a children's book i read when i was about eight. It was a wonderful, weird story about this little boy who is flown by a group of birds to an island in the clouds where there are more birds and a bunch of extinct animals hanging out. I dont remember much else from it, but i love the image of the island floating on the clouds. Wish i remembered the title.

June 25, 2009 at 8:11 PM  
Blogger torontopearl said...

Glad you remembered the name of the book: I was going to begin to Google the description you provided to see if I could track down the title for you.
It looks rather interesting...
Took the kids to the public library today; my Shabbos reading will consist of:
1. "How to Raise a Jewish Dog" (humor book)
2. Fathers & Daughters (NYT bestselling authors present short stories, memoirs, photos)
3. Edith Ann: my Life So Far (Lily Tomlin's character)
4. Red: The Next generation of American writers -- Teenage Girls -- on what fires up their lives today
5.Mere Anarchy -- Woody Allen

Hmm... I might not read anything through, but will pick bits/pieces to read of each.

Shabbat shalom.

June 26, 2009 at 4:48 PM  
Blogger rabbi neil fleischmann said...

Pearl, funny you mention thinking of googling for "my book," I googled for your book - Elie, and couldn't find it. Anne, glad you are getting "my book" from the library. Pearl, the Edith Ann book, truthfully, sounds good. I read all the earlier Woody Allen books. I looked over this one and spoke to people who read it and my impression is that it's similar form (reversed cliche's, big words,etc.) but lesser content. Let me know what you say.

June 26, 2009 at 6:01 PM  

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