REVIEW: A Village Romance: a novella of stories (The Village Life) by Izzy Abrahmson
Courtship, weddings and celebrations, stories of Rosh Hashanah, Chanukah, and Passover, and of course delicious food. It is time for a new generation of readers to discover the unorthodox wisdom of Rabbi Kibbitz and the savory sense of Mrs. Chaipul.
Izzy Abrahmson is an undiscovered genius of delightful fiction. Readers of all backgrounds will be captivated by his lighthearted take on Jewish village life. In interviews, he sometimes says this is his family’s history, and sometimes says he made it all up “from whispers and smiles.” The characters are so vivid that you’ll instantly love them. Each chapter story is a gem, woven into “a novel of stories.”
Dear Mr. Abrahamson,
These short stories were a delight. Sweet, charming, at times wise, but with a funny twist at the end, I inhaled them over the course of an hour or two. Mrs. Chaipul’s latkes, which are the worst in the village but, as her Rabbi husband says, since they’re made with love he prefers them over anyone else’s. Rabbi Kibbitz amazes his fellow Rabbi friend with the wisdom with which he helps two villagers – but there’s a reason he lets the men work out their own problems. If a young Rabbi thinks something is wrong with Mrs. Chaipul’s chicken soup, he can figure out how many helpful cooks it takes to get it right. And how does a husband who loves his wife actually prove to her that he loves her? Each story is lovely and exactly long enough. I would have prefered the glossary had been in the front so I would have known a few more of the Yiddish words while reading the stories but in the end, I learned them so no worries. Now I plan to seek out more stories about life in Chelm. B+
~Jayne
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