The Family with Two Front Doors (2016)
Anna
Ciddor Allen & Unwin, $17
Charming
is a word that can only rarely be applied to a novel but in re-creating the
childhood of her late grandmother, Nomi, Anna Ciddor (author of Runestone) has
produced an endearing picture of 1920s Jewish family life. There are two front
doors in the title because Rabbi Rabinovitch and his wife have nine children
and therefore rent two apartments in the historic Polish city of Lublin. The
story gives us a children’s-eye view of the ceremonies and customs of everyday
life during the exciting time between the first contact with the go-between and
the marriage of eldest sister, Adina. Nomi (10) is excited at being allowed to
make gefilte fish and plait the challah bread dough, while mischievous Yakov
(8) is constantly on the brink of domestic disaster.
It is a blessing to have
an account that celebrates the spiritual warmth, simple joys, and ancient
traditions that were swept away by the Holocaust. The author’s illustrations
add to the charm.
Trevor Agnew
Note: this review originally appeared in Fairfax Newspapers on 21 March 2016.
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