The Carpenter’s Sister
Nava’s life is in ruins after she loses her husband and their little boy in an accident. Age 39, she rejects life, moves into a seniors’ living facility among people twice her age, gives up her job as an interior designer and becomes a cashier in a supermarket. But reality knocks on her door and transforms her choices: No matter how hard she tries to close out the world, people are drawn to her and she seems to have a magical effect on their lives. Men are attracted and arouse her desires, a conflicted colleague relies on her, her neighbors in the old folks’ home want to be close to her, children love to be with her, and her carpenter brother Hanan, who is happy in his marriage and work, strives to get her back into the cycle of life.
The Carpenter’s Sister is a gripping, female version of the biblical Book of Job, modern, daring and clever. Here too fate behaves in an arbitrary manner, but powerful forces rise up against it–forces of kindness and friendship, of vitality and love. And Mira Magen orchestrates them with superb skill.
-
“The book is interesting, flowing, rich in imagery and well made.”
-
“ Magen knows how to produce flesh and blood characters … It is actually when she leaves the erotic sphere and moves into the family sphere that Magen creates a lovely picture, dripping with life, complicated and happy despite the many difficulties … To this book's credit, let it be said that it does not have a didactic ending, but rather it leaves many loose ends … It is a bestseller mainly for one reason: The statement that it makes throughout is that even in a life where there is a great deal of anguish and suffering, there is joy … There are only a few writers who can serve up a dish like this by narrative means, without preaching, and Magen does it nicely.”
-
“A pleasure! I enjoyed every moment! Beautiful language, and a story that is so moving … touching, sad and hard, so full of pain and emotion, but also of hope. Warmly recommended!”