The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem

This is a very interesting novel written originally in Hebrew by Sarit Yishai-Levi, and translated into English by Anthony Berris.  This book found acclaim in Israel and now is receiving popularity in the United States and other countries.

I found that I was learning a new perspective on the history of the relationships between Arabs and Jews under British rule in the 1940s.  Also I found quite surprising the animosity between Sephardi Jews and Ashkanazi Jews in Palestine.  So from a historical perspective this is a very interesting novel.  the only thing I found difficult in the book was remembering all the names and relationships. It might have been helpful to have a family tree that the reader could refer to every once in a while.

The story line of the novel is about the Ermosa family.  Starting with Great Grandmother Mercada who is married to a man who does not love her, the family curse begins.  In each generation women are married to men who do not love them.  The story is revealed by Grandma Rose and Aunt Rachel finally to Gabriela who is trying to figure out her own life and marriage.  In each generation the mothers have loveless marriages which make them cold and harsh to their daughters.  Each mother has forced their sons into unhappy relationships to keep the family within its tight community.  The mother daughter relationships are hostile and emotionally distant.  It has been a long held secret that is now finally being exposed, as Gabriele hopes to end the chain of unhappy marriages and unhappy mother, daughter rejection.  Gabriele's mother Luna was considered one of the most beautiful women in Jerusalem but her husband is in love with another and she cannot win his love no matter how she tries.  It has been the family curse for generations.  The mothers can be emotionally attached and involved with their sons but not with their daughters.  The fathers love their children but not their wives.

Yishi-Levi has created a fascinating love story of family betrayal, conflict and misunderstanding that intertwines with the history of Israel's beginning. The family members are part of the Haganah, Atzel, and Lehi organizations.   All these organizations played a part in the British control of Palestine and how the area was divided between the Arabs and the Jews.  the author shows how the Sephardim kept to themselves in an insular world where they can maintain their identity by following precise customs, eating certain foods and speaking a language that keeps out Ashkenazi Jews and all others.

Sarit Yishi-Levi has written a beautifully descriptive novel that spans the time from the scary world of World War II to the Golden Age of Hollywood to the 1970s.  She covers the history of the times from the British rule to the birth of the State of Israel with interesting clarity.  You can picture the streets of Jerusalem as you are reading.