Good Reads / Community Library Notes
Young Jane Young
Gabrielle Zevin
Review by Priscilla Comen
Young Jane Young
Gabrielle Zevin
Review by Priscilla Comen
Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin is the humorous, feminist tale of a young woman, her mother, and her daughter. Interspersed with Yiddish phrases, it will make you chuckle. Rachel Grossman is the mother of Aviva, an 18 year old intern for a congressman. Aviva is having an affair with him. The congressman is married. Rachel asks her mother for advice, and Grandma tells her to tell the Congressman’s wife about the affair.
Rachel is a wedding advisor who helps couples marry in style. Her advice is funny and sometimes tragic as she deals with engaged lovers. She is “hit on” by a florist she works with, who is married. What is with these married men? Aviva changes her name to Jane and moves to Maine. She raises her daughter, Ruby, on her own. Ruby is bullied at school because she doesn’t shave her legs; she is eight years old. She’s a pen pal with Fatima from Indonesia. They exchange information about each other’s countries, customs, and social traditions. We learn much about Indonesia in this way.
Ruby’s mom, Jane, runs for mayor of her small town. Her opponent is Wes West, whose wedding she had planned years ago. Through the letters Ruby writes to her pen pal, we learn Ruby has discovered her mom is the former Aviva Grossman. Ruby thinks congressman Levin is her real father. Both he and she have green eyes and curly hair. Ruby sets out to find him. She sends a letter to the newspaper exposing her mom’s scandalous past and true identity. Author Levin uses flash backs to show how Jane came to be called Jane (“the least Jewish name”, her mother says.) When she runs for mayor, she is known by everyone in town, and knows everyone’s secrets as well.
Will she win the election? Will Ruby find her true father, come home and be forgiven by her mom? (This is the second book I’ve read with this in the plot: “Burning Girl”) This romp through politics can be found on the new fiction shelf of your community library.
Rachel is a wedding advisor who helps couples marry in style. Her advice is funny and sometimes tragic as she deals with engaged lovers. She is “hit on” by a florist she works with, who is married. What is with these married men? Aviva changes her name to Jane and moves to Maine. She raises her daughter, Ruby, on her own. Ruby is bullied at school because she doesn’t shave her legs; she is eight years old. She’s a pen pal with Fatima from Indonesia. They exchange information about each other’s countries, customs, and social traditions. We learn much about Indonesia in this way.
Ruby’s mom, Jane, runs for mayor of her small town. Her opponent is Wes West, whose wedding she had planned years ago. Through the letters Ruby writes to her pen pal, we learn Ruby has discovered her mom is the former Aviva Grossman. Ruby thinks congressman Levin is her real father. Both he and she have green eyes and curly hair. Ruby sets out to find him. She sends a letter to the newspaper exposing her mom’s scandalous past and true identity. Author Levin uses flash backs to show how Jane came to be called Jane (“the least Jewish name”, her mother says.) When she runs for mayor, she is known by everyone in town, and knows everyone’s secrets as well.
Will she win the election? Will Ruby find her true father, come home and be forgiven by her mom? (This is the second book I’ve read with this in the plot: “Burning Girl”) This romp through politics can be found on the new fiction shelf of your community library.