Soft Stones
Soft Stones depicts an Orthodox Jewish community which makes unrelenting ritual demands on its members, but cannot extinguish imagination and emotions. The story “Nehama Gittel” follows an Orthodox woman to the ritual bath, where the odors of sweat, chlorine and perfumes plunge her into a reverie about the love of her life, lost to her because of his arranged marriage.
In “Something Like Love,” young unmarried people know they are forbidden to meet unchaperoned. But the forbidden occurs: they talk intimately, look at each other and touch. The style is strong, subtle and compelling, with heart-stopping moments.
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“ Haya Esther's originality lies not only in her themes, but above all in her knack for description, the language that emphasizes a strong sensuality. ”
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“ The world of women in a religious Jewish environment rooted in Eastern Europe has not received such an authentic depiction and expression in Hebrew literature since Dvora Baron. ”