Israeli Book Club

The Israeli book club meets monthly on the third Wednesday of each month to focus on Israeli authors, both fiction and non-fiction. Each month a new book is selected by the group. The facilitator of each meeting rotates to give each participant an opportunity to lead the discussion if they wish. The discussions focus on but are not limited to aspects of the author’s life that may have influenced his or her writing, key literary themes in the works, and how the work may be seen in the larger context of Israeli history and current events.

The book for discussion on February 19 is And the Bride Closed the Door by Ronit Matalon.

A young bride shuts herself up in a bedroom on her wedding day, refusing to get married. In this moving and humorous look at contemporary Israel and the chaotic ups and downs of love everywhere, her family gathers outside the locked door, not knowing what to do. The bride’s mother has lost a younger daughter in unclear circumstances. Her grandmother is hard of hearing, yet seems to understand her better than anyone. A male cousin who likes to wear women’s clothes and jewelry clings to his grandmother like a little boy. The family tries an array of unusual tactics to ensure the wedding goes ahead, including a psychologist specializing in brides who change their mind and a ladder truck from the Palestinian Authority electrical company. The only communication they receive from behind the door are scribbled notes, one of them a cryptic poem about a prodigal daughter returning home. The harder they try to reach the defiant woman, the more the despairing groom is convinced her refusal should be respected. But what, exactly, ought to be respected? Is this merely a case of cold feet? A feminist statement? A mourning ritual for a lost sister? This provocative and highly entertaining novel lingers long after its final page.

Contact David Leader at dasujaben@gmail.com for the title of next month’s book.