Book recs

Mystics, Mavericks, and Merrymakers: An Intimate Journey Among Hasidic Girls by Stephanie Wellin Levine

A fascinating read, given to me by Chana P.  The author is a PhD student who spent a year living in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.  She gives an insider take into Hasidic adolescent girls' identity, and her premise is surprisingly logical: these girls grow up in an almost solely single-sex environment, so have a strongly formed sense of self, and a confidence that is very often lacking in secular girls (I can relate to that, having attended an all-girls high school myself).  The Chabad world is a family, a fishbowl, which you either love or hate.  It seemed like an ideal world in which to grow up, unless you vary from the norm in any way, whether it be gender identity, being lesbian, wanting to study and not have children, etc.  For the mainstream who can fit in, it's lovely.  To say that I would chafe under that rubric is the understatement of the year.


Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

A lovely novel which switches perspectives from a San Francisco couple, an American woman and Indian father, who adopt a baby from India, and then that baby's birth parents.  The book is really told from the point of view of the two mothers, and then the girl as she grows up and searches for her roots in India.  Brought me tears more than once... but that said, so do commercials nowadays. :)


As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride by Cary Elwes, aka Westley

Pure fun.  It offers lots of recollections from most people involved in making the movie, serves as a lovely tribute to Andre the Giant, and talks a great deal about the prep for the famous sword fight.  I especially liked the nuggets of info he gave about the behind-the-scenes stories: e.g. there's one scene where Count Rugen knocks Westley out with the base of his sword after leaving the Fire Swamp.  Apparently he hit him a little too hard, and Cary Elwes dropped like a stone.  He woke up in the hospital getting his head stitched up.  So that's why it looked so realistic!  Now I have to watch the movie again.