Esther Chehebar's juicy adult debut novel, Sisters of Fortune, provides an intimate glimpse into a community of Syrian Jewish immigrants in modern-day Brooklyn, through the intertwined lives (and fates) of the three Cohen sisters.
Chehebar's narrative opens as Fortune, the conventional middle sister, is preparing for her wedding to a perfectly nice Jewish guy. Named after her acerbic grandmother, Fortune has always been the obedient, capable daughter--but even she's starting to crack under the pressure of her future mother-in-law's expectations. Nina, the rebellious(ish) eldest daughter, moved to Manhattan for college but is back home at age 26, caught between her desire for freedom and her dependency (emotional and financial) on her family. And beautiful baby sister Lucy, nearly done with high school, has landed herself a charming, wealthy older bachelor. But will he pop the question? And if he does, is she ready to settle down? As Nina starts a new job in Bushwick and Fortune begins questioning her too-smooth path toward the altar, all three sisters wrestle with the gap between their personal longings and the stifling-yet-comforting traditions of their community.
Chehebar (I Share My Name) deftly shifts among the three sisters' perspectives, often commenting on the same events from two or three viewpoints. Although the sisters don't have many heart-to-hearts, they are watching each other's backs--while also watching each other's responses to parental pressure and neighborhood gossip. Like many sisters, they are often at odds: frustrated, confused, or downright affronted by each other's actions. But their bond--strengthened by religion, genetics, and years of shared history--matters more than their disagreements. Each one wants her sisters to be happy, though each sister would also prefer to be the happiest (and the prettiest, and the most loved). And although each of them longs for their community's seal of approval, they are also 21st-century young women with their own hopes and ambitions.
Like any insular community, the Cohens' Syrian Jewish milieu has its challenges: blatant prejudice toward outsiders; a too-strong regard for appearances; and problematic behavior (ranging from casual sexism to outright predation) disguised as tradition and protection. Chehebar explores these issues with wry humor and compassion, through Nina's semi-rebellious fashion choices, Lucy's time-consuming workouts and beauty treatments, and Fortune's efforts to please various eagle-eyed matrons. But it isn't all bad: the sisters also benefit from the warmth, stability, and acceptance offered to insiders. Each of them must weigh the risks of forging her own path versus the security of following tradition. But whether they're making knafeh in their mother's kitchen or searching for true love, they can count on each other for support as they experiment, make mistakes, and try again. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams
Shelf Talker: Esther Chehebar's juicy novel explores the intertwined lives of three Syrian Jewish sisters in Brooklyn as they search for love and try to forge their own paths within a traditional community.