Friends, Neighbors, Traitors by Dorothea Shefer-Vanson; independently published, ISBN 9798639-401855; available on Amazon.
SAN DIEGO – Meet Anna, Helena, and Naomi. As a reader of this novel, you’ll have the privilege of knowing exactly what each of these women is thinking over the course of a few days in Jerusalem, circa 1983.
Anna is a former German Christian whose family moved to Denmark, where they never were accepted. Unhappy at always being an outsider, Anna fell in love with an Israeli man, converted to Judaism, moved with him to Jerusalem, and from that point on to the present, even after she divorced him, he made her life miserable. They have a five-year-old daughter, Shira, who, in a way keeps Anna tied to a life of ennui in Israel. Although she has custody of the child, she is not permitted to leave the country, at least not with Shira in her company. The last thing she wants is for her ex-husband to be given custody of Shira, even temporarily, as he will do whatever he can to turn the girl against her.
Her friend is Helena, the mother of two boys, whose accountant husband comes home tired, watches sports on television, is never appreciative of anything she does for him – not the cooking, the laundry, the house cleaning, nor the raising of their sons – and so they have become alienated. She suspects him of cheating on her, and blames him for the disrespectful manner in which the two boys talk to her. Helena gained a lot of weight during her pregnancies, weight she was unable to lose. Now so depressed about her situation, she frequently eats cookies or ice cream in front of her television, adding to her weight gain and depression.
Finally, there is Naomi, a German Jew whose father was murdered during the Holocaust. The closest person in her life was her mother, who is now dead. Naomi had married twice, divorced both husbands amicably, never had children, and now lives alone, quite alone, keeping herself busy as a poorly-paid translator of academic texts, often quite boring, into proper Hebrew.
Now which one of these three women is most likely to attempt suicide? Which is most likely to have an illicit affair?
The men in these women’s lives make very rare appearances in this novel, but bitter thoughts are directed toward them constantly. Soon after reading and digesting this novel, I rushed to empty the dishwasher before my wife Nancy got to it, and made it a point to roll out the garbage and plant barrels for pickup the following morning lest Nancy beat me to it. We’ve been married 52 years and I’ll admit that she spoils me quite a bit. I’m just hoping she doesn’t ever have reason to resent me the way Anna and Helena resent their husbands. In my defense, I express appreciation and affection for her every day, unlike those mumzers described in the novel. Nancy, if you’re reading this, I love you!
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com Author Dorothea Shefer-Vanson is a freelance writer whose articles from Israel frequently appear in San Diego Jewish World.
Thanks for that, Don. I’m glad to know that my novel had some positive results. But I’m sure Nancy doesn’t harbor negative thoughts about you.