Imagine growing up in a world where most of your life is planned out for you and where women are little more than things to marry off and produce children. Imagine not having a voice and imagine that no one would believe a word you said, simply because you were a woman?
Enter life inside the closed Chassidic community in Borough Park, New York City. It is here where the most Orthodox Jewish live and worship the Torah, and it is here where Gittel witnesses one of the worst things that could happen: the sexual abuse of her best friend by her brother. But, she nor best friend Devory can say a word about it. They’re women — and at this point, children — meaning that whatever they say is wrong, misdirected, or ignored completely. They’re to keep quiet, turn 18, get married, and have children.
Things spiral out of control, though, as Devory becomes more and more unhinged. She tries to spend more evenings at Gittel’s house, but Gittel’s parents won’t let her without permission. When permission’s not granted, Gittel knows that the desperation of her best friend stems from the fear that her brother will be visiting her at night against her will. Eventually, Devory does the unimaginable.
Hush is a slow paced novel, steeped deep into the Chassidic community. There is a lot of history and explanation of their beliefs through this, and at times, this slows down the narrative. As an outsider and uneducated about this religious group, I found myself tripping through a lot of this, trying to understand and absorb it, despite the fact it wasn’t entirely important to the novel. I could have done with less of this through the novel, for the sake of a stronger narrative string and a more speedy pace.
That said, the issues brought up in this book are powerful. This story is not a historical novel; it is set in the present. To be fair, the first half of the book alternates between 2003 and 2009, and the second half is set entirely in 2010. These issues, despite what we believe, still happen today, and Chayil has done a real service in shining a light on sexual abuse. Moreover, this book emphasizes the fact there are still places in the United States where women are powerless. It was a wake up call for me, and I think it will leave a big impression on younger readers.
Gittel is our narrator throughout the book, and we have the opportunity to see her grow and develop throughout the traditional Chassidic women cycle: she’s young and powerless in the first half, and the second half of the book is her life after being married off to a man she never met but who was a good Orthodox. She’s been set up to become an Eishes Chayil (see it?), or a Woman of Valor. She’ll produce children who’ll grow up devout and keep the community thriving. But, her conscious will cause her to rethink what’s gone on in her young life and blow the roof off the otherwise closed community.
One of the things that bothered me a bit as a reader was the feeling I didn’t get to know Devory very well. I wanted to know more about her and hear more of her side of the story; my knowledge of what happened to her comes second hand through Gittel, and while I have no reason to disbelieve Gittel, I also didn’t quite get some of what she did. That is, I only “saw” the abuse once, and when Devory begins to lose control of herself, I wanted more evidence of why. For a book that moved slower, I felt there was a bit too much dwelling on the peripheral elements and not enough disclosure of the bigger issues at hand.
While reading Hush, I couldn’t help but see the comparisons between this book and Chaim Potok’s classic The Chosen. What a perfect readalike in similar settings. I think that a lot of young readers who grow up in strict religious upbringings will find a lot to enjoy here (though they may find Gittel’s final actions disappointing). Likewise, those who are on the outside of these groups will learn a lot about a world entirely different from their own.
This is a book that will stick with readers for a long time, much in the way Potok’s story has stuck and become a bit of a classic. Although Hush has some challenging moments, particularly with pace and detailing, the journey through it will make readers appreciate Gittel and her struggles. Hand this off to those who want something a little more challenging but who are interested in tough issues like sexual abuse.
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* Review copy received from the publisher as part of a book tour. Thanks for stopping by!
