What do you think?
Rate this book
Songs for the Brokenhearted
1950. Thousands of Yemeni Jews have immigrated to the newly founded Israel in search of a better life. In an overcrowded immigrant camp in Rosh Ha’ayin, Yaqub, a shy young man, happens upon Saida, a beautiful girl singing by the river. In the midst of chaos and uncertainty, they fall in love. But they weren’t supposed to; Saida is married and has a child, and a married woman has no place befriending another man.
1995. Thirty-something Zohara, Saida’s daughter, has been living in New York City—a city that feels much less complicated than Israel, where she grew up wishing that her skin was lighter, that her illiterate mother’s Yemeni music was quieter, and that the father who always favored her was alive. She hasn’t looked back since leaving home, rarely in touch with her mother or sister, Lizzie, and missing out on her nephew Yoni’s childhood. But when Lizzie calls to tell her their mother has died, she gets on a plane to Israel with no return ticket.
Soon Zohara finds herself on an unexpected path that leads to shocking truths about her family—including dangers that lurk for impressionable young men and secrets that force her to question everything she thought she knew about her parents, her heritage, and her own future.
The debut novel of an award-winning literary voice.
1995. Thirty-something Zohara, Saida’s daughter, has been living in New York City—a city that feels much less complicated than Israel, where she grew up wishing that her skin was lighter, that her illiterate mother’s Yemeni music was quieter, and that the father who always favored her was alive. She hasn’t looked back since leaving home, rarely in touch with her mother or sister, Lizzie, and missing out on her nephew Yoni’s childhood. But when Lizzie calls to tell her their mother has died, she gets on a plane to Israel with no return ticket.
Soon Zohara finds herself on an unexpected path that leads to shocking truths about her family—including dangers that lurk for impressionable young men and secrets that force her to question everything she thought she knew about her parents, her heritage, and her own future.
The debut novel of an award-winning literary voice.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 10, 2024
427 people are currently reading
12825 people want to read
About the author
Ayelet Tsabari
21 books342 followersAyelet Tsabari is the author of The Art of Leaving, finalist for the Writer’s Trust Hilary Weston Prize, winner of the Canadian Jewish Literary Award for memoir, and an Apple Books and Kirkus Review Best Book of 2019. Her first book, The Best Place on Earth, won the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature, was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and has been published internationally. She’s the co-editor of the anthology Tongues: On Longing and Belonging Through Language and has taught creative writing at Guelph MFA in Creative Writing and The University of King’s College MFA. Her novel, Songs for the Brokenhearted is forthcoming with Random House and HarperCollins Canada in September 2024.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 403 reviews
October 26, 2024
Mothers and daughters. Relationships that can be at times plentiful; at other times tenuous.
This is a story told in dual timelines. Saida’s story in 1950, and Zohara’s, her daughter, in 1995. It’s a story of the immigration of Yemeni Jews to Israel and the impact it had on both their lives. It’s the loss of a mother whom Zohara discovers, she knew little about.
After returning to Israel from New York after her mom passes, she discovers tapes of songs her mom recorded. In a country where women were oppressed and not meant to have a voice, these songs sang of a tragic love story….of a love lost.
Tsabari covers much ground here. From the emotional aspects of grief, love and family relationships, the story also delves into the conflict that has prevailed in Israel between the Jews and the Palestinians for decades.
The history and the relevance of this war that sadly is still in existence today.
4.5⭐️
This is a story told in dual timelines. Saida’s story in 1950, and Zohara’s, her daughter, in 1995. It’s a story of the immigration of Yemeni Jews to Israel and the impact it had on both their lives. It’s the loss of a mother whom Zohara discovers, she knew little about.
After returning to Israel from New York after her mom passes, she discovers tapes of songs her mom recorded. In a country where women were oppressed and not meant to have a voice, these songs sang of a tragic love story….of a love lost.
Tsabari covers much ground here. From the emotional aspects of grief, love and family relationships, the story also delves into the conflict that has prevailed in Israel between the Jews and the Palestinians for decades.
The history and the relevance of this war that sadly is still in existence today.
4.5⭐️
August 22, 2024
There are two story lines here…
Yaqub and Saida meet in 1950 at a water fountain in an immigrant camp in Israel after coming over from Yemen.
Yaqub fell in love as soon as he saw her… and more so when he heard her singing ..sitting along the waters edge. Heartbreaking Yemeni songs. Saida ended up in love with him too.
Well.. they could not be together as Saida was already married and had a baby boy.
The other story is about Saida’s granddaughter Zohara in 1995..who is in college in New York.. comes home to Israel after her mother Saida dies and learns much more about all her family history.
I LOVED this story!
Highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC!
Yaqub and Saida meet in 1950 at a water fountain in an immigrant camp in Israel after coming over from Yemen.
Yaqub fell in love as soon as he saw her… and more so when he heard her singing ..sitting along the waters edge. Heartbreaking Yemeni songs. Saida ended up in love with him too.
Well.. they could not be together as Saida was already married and had a baby boy.
The other story is about Saida’s granddaughter Zohara in 1995..who is in college in New York.. comes home to Israel after her mother Saida dies and learns much more about all her family history.
I LOVED this story!
Highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC!
July 2, 2024
…..”If I were yours
And you were mine
If I were a raincloud
I’d quench your thirst.
If I were a bird with a
curly wing
I’d shelter you from
the hot sun
If I were grapes
strung on a vine
I’d squeeze the flesh
of my fruit
and pour juice into
your mouth
- By Unknown Yemeni Poetess
It’s rare that an historical story is as beautifully written as this one was. There is so much compassion, a strongly felt compassion, as well, that pulled me into this story and kept me there.
This is a story of family, of war, of love, friendship, and finding the people who will become a part of your story.
’Saida and Yaqub both came from Haidan in North Yemen. Both were orphans. Both were young. He was just a boy. She was just a girl. They met at an all-Yemeni immigrant camp in Rosh HaAyin, once a British Air Force base, and now a large tent city. It was a new city built of hope, despair, dreams, and catastrophe of others, on an ancient land’.
This story begins in 1950, where we meet Yaqub and Saida at the immigration camp, Mahane Olim Rosh HaAyin, but it is a story that shares the lives of so many, as well as a recent loss, and the grief that follows, as well as the things that haunt her, and the things that she never knew.
Shared in dual timelines, this was a lovely read, if often sad, there is also such a sense of passion for this life, of living it to the fullest, to fully embrace this gift that we’ve been given.
Pub Date: 10 Sep 2024
Many thanks to for the ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group - Random House / Random House
September 5, 2024
Songs for the Brokenhearted is a gentle, yet evocative debut novel that unfolds in two alternating narratives and timelines. The first is about young Saida and Yaqub, who fall in ill-fated love at an Israeli camp for Yemenite Jewish immigrants in 1950. The second is about Zohara Haddad, a graduate student in New York City who travels home to Israel in 1995 upon learning of her mother, Saida’s, death. As Zohara mourns, she unravels a secret life her mother led that is revealed through a collection of recorded songs on cassettes she discovers. While Zohara embarks on a quest to know more about her mother’s hidden past, she must confront her own identity crisis as an Israeli Jew who has repeatedly been othered in her greater Jewish communities.
Overall, I was impressed with how much I learned from this book. Historical fiction is at its best when readers learn about events never covered in school. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this arc.
CW: domestic violence, death of parent, kidnapped/missing child, Israel-Palestine
Overall, I was impressed with how much I learned from this book. Historical fiction is at its best when readers learn about events never covered in school. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this arc.
CW: domestic violence, death of parent, kidnapped/missing child, Israel-Palestine
May 8, 2024
First, let me say that Historical Fiction is not my favorite genre, and I don’t know much about the area and history of the area in which this book was written. Any errors in understanding are mine and not the author’s.
That said, it was a lovely story. The book begins in 1950 in an immigration camp. There we are introduced to Yaqub and Saida. The next chapter moves us forward to 1995 and to Zohara, who has just found out that her mother, Saida, has died. This is a story of discovery for Saida - both of herself and of her parents. The book explores Saida’s identity as a Jewish daughter, sister, female, and Israeli. There is a lot of history of Yemeni women included in the story. The oral storytelling (poetess) disseminated by a community of women is an important piece of this story. A quote that struck me as so relevant for today and really made me think was “…but what makes one a story and another a testimonial?…if we are only relying on written history, what stories do we miss? What happens to the stories of people who are illiterate? To marginalized communities? Whose stories are written in history books? And who decides which stories to include?”
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
That said, it was a lovely story. The book begins in 1950 in an immigration camp. There we are introduced to Yaqub and Saida. The next chapter moves us forward to 1995 and to Zohara, who has just found out that her mother, Saida, has died. This is a story of discovery for Saida - both of herself and of her parents. The book explores Saida’s identity as a Jewish daughter, sister, female, and Israeli. There is a lot of history of Yemeni women included in the story. The oral storytelling (poetess) disseminated by a community of women is an important piece of this story. A quote that struck me as so relevant for today and really made me think was “…but what makes one a story and another a testimonial?…if we are only relying on written history, what stories do we miss? What happens to the stories of people who are illiterate? To marginalized communities? Whose stories are written in history books? And who decides which stories to include?”
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
October 23, 2024
"Songs for the Broken-Hearted" is an ambitious historical fiction novel about the lives of Yemeni Jews in Israel. It is written in two time-lines. The first timeline starts in 1950 and concerns two new immigrants from Yemen who are living in an encampment in Israel. A young Yaqub meets Saida, who at 19 years old is married and has an infant son. Despite this, they are immediately attracted to each other.
The second time-line is in 1995, when Saida dies and her daughter, Zohara, is summoned home to Israel for her funeral. Zohara (33 years old) has been living in New York City and writing her doctoral thesis. She is newly separated from her husband, which she has not explained to her family. Zohara had often sparred with her mother, but is overwhelmed by grief.
1995 is a tumultuous year in Israel's history. Prime Minister Rabin has signed the Oslo Peace Accord II with P.L.O. leader Arafat. Many Israelis are hopeful this will lead to peace with the Palestinians. Yet, there are some protests against it. The author incorporates Israeli politics in her story through Zohara's 17 year old nephew, Yoni. Yoni gets swept up in the protests. When Rabin is murdered, the whole country goes into mourning.
The author packs a lot into the novel. Family dynamics, Yemeni-Israeli culture, Grief, History and Music are all thoughtfully looked at. I was unaware that Yemeni babies in Israel were taken from their families and put up for adoption in the 1950's. Saida and her family suffered this loss.
Ultimately, this is a novel about a woman (Zohara) coming to understand her mother (Saida) better, after her death. In so doing, she grows to understand herself better, too.
Integral to the story is the tradition of Yemeni Jewish women's singing. Saida, illiterate and hemmed in by the norms of her community, expressed her true feelings in song. I will end my review with a video of singer Gila Beshari singing in the traditional way.
https://www.google.com/search?client=...
The second time-line is in 1995, when Saida dies and her daughter, Zohara, is summoned home to Israel for her funeral. Zohara (33 years old) has been living in New York City and writing her doctoral thesis. She is newly separated from her husband, which she has not explained to her family. Zohara had often sparred with her mother, but is overwhelmed by grief.
1995 is a tumultuous year in Israel's history. Prime Minister Rabin has signed the Oslo Peace Accord II with P.L.O. leader Arafat. Many Israelis are hopeful this will lead to peace with the Palestinians. Yet, there are some protests against it. The author incorporates Israeli politics in her story through Zohara's 17 year old nephew, Yoni. Yoni gets swept up in the protests. When Rabin is murdered, the whole country goes into mourning.
The author packs a lot into the novel. Family dynamics, Yemeni-Israeli culture, Grief, History and Music are all thoughtfully looked at. I was unaware that Yemeni babies in Israel were taken from their families and put up for adoption in the 1950's. Saida and her family suffered this loss.
Ultimately, this is a novel about a woman (Zohara) coming to understand her mother (Saida) better, after her death. In so doing, she grows to understand herself better, too.
Integral to the story is the tradition of Yemeni Jewish women's singing. Saida, illiterate and hemmed in by the norms of her community, expressed her true feelings in song. I will end my review with a video of singer Gila Beshari singing in the traditional way.
https://www.google.com/search?client=...
September 23, 2024
A Melody of Memories and Missed Connections
Have you ever heard a song that instantly transports you to another time and place? The kind that resurfaces long-buried memories and emotions? Ayelet Tsabari's debut novel "Songs for the Brokenhearted" is like that haunting melody - a story that weaves together past and present, love and loss, identity and belonging. It's a book that lingers in your mind long after you've turned the final page, much like the Yemeni folk songs that serve as its backbone.
As I dove into this rich tapestry of a novel, I found myself completely swept up in the intertwining narratives of Saida and her daughter Zohara. Their voices - separated by decades but bound by blood and shared trauma - create a powerful harmony that resonates deeply. Tsabari's prose has a musicality to it, at times lilting and poetic, at others raw and unflinching. Reading it felt like eavesdropping on a private performance, one that left me both moved and unsettled.
A Tale of Two Times, Two Hearts
The story unfolds in dual timelines, alternating between 1950s Israel and the mid-1990s. In 1950, we meet Saida, a young Yemeni Jewish woman newly arrived in Israel. Married with a child, she unexpectedly falls for Yaqub, a fellow immigrant. Their forbidden romance blooms against the backdrop of overcrowded camps and cultural upheaval.
Flash forward to 1995, and we're introduced to Saida's daughter Zohara. She's built a life for herself in New York, purposefully distanced from her Yemeni roots and complicated family history. But when her mother dies, Zohara reluctantly returns to Israel, unearthing long-buried secrets and confronting the identity she's tried so hard to escape.
Love in the Time of Displacement
Tsabari paints a vivid picture of life in the immigrant camps of 1950s Israel. The descriptions are so evocative you can almost feel the dust in your throat and hear the cacophony of languages. Amidst this chaos, Saida and Yaqub's forbidden romance unfolds with a bittersweet intensity. Their stolen moments by the river are charged with longing and the weight of societal expectations.
"He wiped her tears with his finger. She didn’t look away, didn’t move. So he leaned over and kissed her wet cheek, then the other, tasting salt. When she didn’t pull away, he kissed her forehead, then her eyes, then, finally her lips. Softly, again and again and again. And she kissed him back."
The author doesn't shy away from the complexities of their situation. Saida's guilt, Yaqub's idealism, the very real consequences they face - it's all laid bare with unflinching honesty. Their love story is both beautiful and heartbreaking, a reminder of how circumstances can shape our choices.
A Reluctant Homecoming
Zohara's narrative in 1995 provides a fascinating counterpoint. Her initial reluctance to engage with her heritage is palpable:
"My mom couldn’t read.
Why did she keep stories she couldn’t read? And how did he get them to her? What if my father had found them?"
I held up the first page and began to read.
As she uncovers her mother's hidden past, Zohara is forced to confront her own prejudices and the complexities of her identity. Tsabari skillfully captures the internal struggle of a woman caught between two worlds, never quite feeling at home in either.
The Power of Unsung Voices
One of the most captivating aspects of the novel is its exploration of Yemeni women's folk songs. These songs, passed down orally through generations, serve as a secret language of sorts. They give voice to experiences and emotions that were often silenced in their patriarchal society.
Tsabari's inclusion of these songs (both real and invented) adds incredible depth to the story. They act as a bridge between past and present, mother and daughter. As Zohara begins to understand and appreciate these songs, she gains new insight into her mother's life:
"I sang in her kitchen, as I washed the dishes. I sang along with the radio. When I drove. When I cleaned. One day at the beach, I swam to the rocks, climbed on top, sat facing the sunset and sang my heart out. I could almost hear my mother's voice accompanying me, harmonizing."
This rediscovery of cultural heritage through music is beautifully rendered and deeply moving.
A Tapestry of Complex Characters
Tsabari excels at creating multifaceted, flawed characters that feel startlingly real. Saida, in particular, is a triumph - a woman who defies easy categorization. She's traditional yet rebellious, resigned yet yearning. Her struggle to reconcile duty with desire is heart-wrenching.
Zohara's journey of self-discovery is equally compelling. Her initial disdain for her Yemeni background slowly gives way to curiosity and eventually, a tentative embrace. It's a transformation that feels organic and earned.
Supporting characters like Lizzie (Zohara's sister), Yoni (her nephew), and Bruria (Saida's co-wife) are also richly drawn. Each adds another layer to the complex family dynamics at play.
The Weight of Secrets
Family secrets form the core of the novel's tension. The gradual unraveling of these long-held secrets is masterfully paced, with each revelation landing with maximum impact. Tsabari explores how secrets can shape entire lives, creating rifts between loved ones and distorting self-perception.
The moment Zohara discovers the truth about her mother's past is particularly powerful:
"Everything about my family history, even my memories, felt tainted."
It's a stark reminder of how the stories we tell ourselves about our families can be wildly inaccurate.
A Lyrical Exploration of Identity
At its heart, "Songs for the Brokenhearted" is a profound meditation on identity. It grapples with questions of belonging, assimilation, and the inheritance of trauma. Tsabari doesn't offer easy answers, instead presenting the messy reality of navigating multiple cultures and conflicting loyalties.
The novel sheds light on the often-overlooked experience of Mizrahi Jews (those from Middle Eastern and North African countries). It challenges the dominant Ashkenazi narrative of Israeli history, giving voice to a community that has frequently been marginalized.
Zohara's struggle to reconcile her Yemeni heritage with her American life will resonate with many children of immigrants. Her journey towards self-acceptance is both specific to her experience and universally relatable.
A Feast for the Senses
Tsabari's writing is lush and sensory, bringing both 1950s Israel and 1990s New York vividly to life. The descriptions of food are particularly evocative - you can almost taste the Yemeni soup and smell the fresh pita.
The author has a gift for small, telling details that instantly transport the reader:
"The cafés on Ibn Gabirol Street were bustling with people who couldn't be bothered to take a stand, sipping espressos and beer and smoking cigarettes."
These vivid snapshots create a rich, immersive reading experience.
Not Without Flaws
While "Songs for the Brokenhearted" is undoubtedly a powerful debut, it's not without its imperfections. At times, the pacing in the 1995 timeline feels a bit uneven, with some plot threads resolved too quickly. The political backdrop of the 1995 sections (centering around Yitzhak Rabin's assassination) occasionally feels shoehorned in, not fully integrated with the main narrative.
Additionally, some readers might find the ending a touch too neat, with reconciliations happening rather swiftly given the decades of misunderstanding and hurt.
A Promising Debut
Despite these minor quibbles, "Songs for the Brokenhearted" announces Ayelet Tsabari as a major new voice in literary fiction. Her ability to weave together multiple timelines, voices, and themes is impressive. The novel builds on the promise shown in her award-winning short story collection "The Best Place on Earth" and her memoir "The Art of Leaving."
Fans of multigenerational family sagas and explorations of cultural identity will find much to love here. The book pairs well with works like Dalia Sofer's "The Septembers of Shiraz" or Nadia Hashimi's "The Pearl That Broke Its Shell."
Have you ever heard a song that instantly transports you to another time and place? The kind that resurfaces long-buried memories and emotions? Ayelet Tsabari's debut novel "Songs for the Brokenhearted" is like that haunting melody - a story that weaves together past and present, love and loss, identity and belonging. It's a book that lingers in your mind long after you've turned the final page, much like the Yemeni folk songs that serve as its backbone.
As I dove into this rich tapestry of a novel, I found myself completely swept up in the intertwining narratives of Saida and her daughter Zohara. Their voices - separated by decades but bound by blood and shared trauma - create a powerful harmony that resonates deeply. Tsabari's prose has a musicality to it, at times lilting and poetic, at others raw and unflinching. Reading it felt like eavesdropping on a private performance, one that left me both moved and unsettled.
A Tale of Two Times, Two Hearts
The story unfolds in dual timelines, alternating between 1950s Israel and the mid-1990s. In 1950, we meet Saida, a young Yemeni Jewish woman newly arrived in Israel. Married with a child, she unexpectedly falls for Yaqub, a fellow immigrant. Their forbidden romance blooms against the backdrop of overcrowded camps and cultural upheaval.
Flash forward to 1995, and we're introduced to Saida's daughter Zohara. She's built a life for herself in New York, purposefully distanced from her Yemeni roots and complicated family history. But when her mother dies, Zohara reluctantly returns to Israel, unearthing long-buried secrets and confronting the identity she's tried so hard to escape.
Love in the Time of Displacement
Tsabari paints a vivid picture of life in the immigrant camps of 1950s Israel. The descriptions are so evocative you can almost feel the dust in your throat and hear the cacophony of languages. Amidst this chaos, Saida and Yaqub's forbidden romance unfolds with a bittersweet intensity. Their stolen moments by the river are charged with longing and the weight of societal expectations.
"He wiped her tears with his finger. She didn’t look away, didn’t move. So he leaned over and kissed her wet cheek, then the other, tasting salt. When she didn’t pull away, he kissed her forehead, then her eyes, then, finally her lips. Softly, again and again and again. And she kissed him back."
The author doesn't shy away from the complexities of their situation. Saida's guilt, Yaqub's idealism, the very real consequences they face - it's all laid bare with unflinching honesty. Their love story is both beautiful and heartbreaking, a reminder of how circumstances can shape our choices.
A Reluctant Homecoming
Zohara's narrative in 1995 provides a fascinating counterpoint. Her initial reluctance to engage with her heritage is palpable:
"My mom couldn’t read.
Why did she keep stories she couldn’t read? And how did he get them to her? What if my father had found them?"
I held up the first page and began to read.
As she uncovers her mother's hidden past, Zohara is forced to confront her own prejudices and the complexities of her identity. Tsabari skillfully captures the internal struggle of a woman caught between two worlds, never quite feeling at home in either.
The Power of Unsung Voices
One of the most captivating aspects of the novel is its exploration of Yemeni women's folk songs. These songs, passed down orally through generations, serve as a secret language of sorts. They give voice to experiences and emotions that were often silenced in their patriarchal society.
Tsabari's inclusion of these songs (both real and invented) adds incredible depth to the story. They act as a bridge between past and present, mother and daughter. As Zohara begins to understand and appreciate these songs, she gains new insight into her mother's life:
"I sang in her kitchen, as I washed the dishes. I sang along with the radio. When I drove. When I cleaned. One day at the beach, I swam to the rocks, climbed on top, sat facing the sunset and sang my heart out. I could almost hear my mother's voice accompanying me, harmonizing."
This rediscovery of cultural heritage through music is beautifully rendered and deeply moving.
A Tapestry of Complex Characters
Tsabari excels at creating multifaceted, flawed characters that feel startlingly real. Saida, in particular, is a triumph - a woman who defies easy categorization. She's traditional yet rebellious, resigned yet yearning. Her struggle to reconcile duty with desire is heart-wrenching.
Zohara's journey of self-discovery is equally compelling. Her initial disdain for her Yemeni background slowly gives way to curiosity and eventually, a tentative embrace. It's a transformation that feels organic and earned.
Supporting characters like Lizzie (Zohara's sister), Yoni (her nephew), and Bruria (Saida's co-wife) are also richly drawn. Each adds another layer to the complex family dynamics at play.
The Weight of Secrets
Family secrets form the core of the novel's tension. The gradual unraveling of these long-held secrets is masterfully paced, with each revelation landing with maximum impact. Tsabari explores how secrets can shape entire lives, creating rifts between loved ones and distorting self-perception.
The moment Zohara discovers the truth about her mother's past is particularly powerful:
"Everything about my family history, even my memories, felt tainted."
It's a stark reminder of how the stories we tell ourselves about our families can be wildly inaccurate.
A Lyrical Exploration of Identity
At its heart, "Songs for the Brokenhearted" is a profound meditation on identity. It grapples with questions of belonging, assimilation, and the inheritance of trauma. Tsabari doesn't offer easy answers, instead presenting the messy reality of navigating multiple cultures and conflicting loyalties.
The novel sheds light on the often-overlooked experience of Mizrahi Jews (those from Middle Eastern and North African countries). It challenges the dominant Ashkenazi narrative of Israeli history, giving voice to a community that has frequently been marginalized.
Zohara's struggle to reconcile her Yemeni heritage with her American life will resonate with many children of immigrants. Her journey towards self-acceptance is both specific to her experience and universally relatable.
A Feast for the Senses
Tsabari's writing is lush and sensory, bringing both 1950s Israel and 1990s New York vividly to life. The descriptions of food are particularly evocative - you can almost taste the Yemeni soup and smell the fresh pita.
The author has a gift for small, telling details that instantly transport the reader:
"The cafés on Ibn Gabirol Street were bustling with people who couldn't be bothered to take a stand, sipping espressos and beer and smoking cigarettes."
These vivid snapshots create a rich, immersive reading experience.
Not Without Flaws
While "Songs for the Brokenhearted" is undoubtedly a powerful debut, it's not without its imperfections. At times, the pacing in the 1995 timeline feels a bit uneven, with some plot threads resolved too quickly. The political backdrop of the 1995 sections (centering around Yitzhak Rabin's assassination) occasionally feels shoehorned in, not fully integrated with the main narrative.
Additionally, some readers might find the ending a touch too neat, with reconciliations happening rather swiftly given the decades of misunderstanding and hurt.
A Promising Debut
Despite these minor quibbles, "Songs for the Brokenhearted" announces Ayelet Tsabari as a major new voice in literary fiction. Her ability to weave together multiple timelines, voices, and themes is impressive. The novel builds on the promise shown in her award-winning short story collection "The Best Place on Earth" and her memoir "The Art of Leaving."
Fans of multigenerational family sagas and explorations of cultural identity will find much to love here. The book pairs well with works like Dalia Sofer's "The Septembers of Shiraz" or Nadia Hashimi's "The Pearl That Broke Its Shell."
June 22, 2024
A beautiful, transportive multi-generational novel, "Songs for the Brokenhearted" tells the story of Zohara, a young Yemeni Jewish woman in 1995 as she's confronted with news of the death of her mother Saida. Despite the physical and emotional distance she's placed between herself and her mother, Zohara flies back to her hometown in Sha'ariya, Israel and is reunited with the family and friends that she hasn't seen in decades. Over time, we learn more about Zohara and the events that have shaped her, including the complicated relationship she had with her mother and father; the tension that exists between her and her older sister Lizzie; and the bond that develops between her and her nephew Yoni. As Zohara begins to clean up her mother's belongings, she stumbles across a number of writings and tapes - many of which are recordings of her mother singing. These serve as a starting point for her as she begins to dig into her mother's past and tries to learn more about the person she was.
There's a second timeline that is woven in set in 1950 at Rosh Ha’ayin, Israel, an immigrant camp where thousands of Yemeni Jews have sought refuge following the events of the Holocaust. Yaqub is a young man who crosses path of Saida as she sings by the riverbank; immediately enamored, the two become closer despite the fact that Saida is married and is at the camp with her young son Rafael. It's also at this camp that Rafael disappears - just one of thousands of children that disappear from their families in these immigrant camps - and this loss reverberate years into the future.
There's so much that this novel covers and made clear to me how little I truly knew about these time periods. Tsabari covered how overlooked the disappearing children from the Israeli immigrant camps were and are, as well as the difficult conditions for residents. In more recent years, I also saw a different side to the Oslo Accords that were signed between Israel and the PLO, and the events and build up leading to the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin. The writing is complex and well-structured, and I found myself equally invested in both Zohara's storyline as I was in Saida and Yaqub. A number of difficult themes and topics are also raised, including the historical (and sometimes present) treatment of women; fidelity in relationships; ethnicity and identity; and the role of songs and songwriting in tradition and history. And while there are elements of romance present in this novel, it is far from the main focus it; instead, we get to truly understand the protagonists and see the ways in which Zohara is able to understand and make amends with her mother even after her death.
Very much a recommended read when "Songs for the Brokenhearted" is released in September 2024!
Thank you Random House for the advance copy of this novel!
There's a second timeline that is woven in set in 1950 at Rosh Ha’ayin, Israel, an immigrant camp where thousands of Yemeni Jews have sought refuge following the events of the Holocaust. Yaqub is a young man who crosses path of Saida as she sings by the riverbank; immediately enamored, the two become closer despite the fact that Saida is married and is at the camp with her young son Rafael. It's also at this camp that Rafael disappears - just one of thousands of children that disappear from their families in these immigrant camps - and this loss reverberate years into the future.
There's so much that this novel covers and made clear to me how little I truly knew about these time periods. Tsabari covered how overlooked the disappearing children from the Israeli immigrant camps were and are, as well as the difficult conditions for residents. In more recent years, I also saw a different side to the Oslo Accords that were signed between Israel and the PLO, and the events and build up leading to the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin. The writing is complex and well-structured, and I found myself equally invested in both Zohara's storyline as I was in Saida and Yaqub. A number of difficult themes and topics are also raised, including the historical (and sometimes present) treatment of women; fidelity in relationships; ethnicity and identity; and the role of songs and songwriting in tradition and history. And while there are elements of romance present in this novel, it is far from the main focus it; instead, we get to truly understand the protagonists and see the ways in which Zohara is able to understand and make amends with her mother even after her death.
Very much a recommended read when "Songs for the Brokenhearted" is released in September 2024!
Thank you Random House for the advance copy of this novel!
August 7, 2024
Zohara wasn’t like the other Israeli Jews. Her parents left Yemen for Israel in 1950; upon arrival in Israel they were put in camps, considered backwards and other. Their skin was darker, their faith and ways conservative.
Her father died when she was at school, and her relationship with her mother and sister strained.
Zohara was living in New York City, working on her dissertation, when her mother passed. Returning to Israel became a transformative journey into her family’s tragic past. Learning about her mother’s private life alters Zohara’s understanding of her legacy and impacts her personal trajectory.
I learned so much about the Yemeni and about Israeli history, the background to one of the most touching love stories I have read in a long time. I loved learning about the Yemeni women’s tradition of singing and songwriting and the role it played in their communal and private lives. The novel is full of wonderfully drawn, complex characters caught in the tides of history.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.
Her father died when she was at school, and her relationship with her mother and sister strained.
Zohara was living in New York City, working on her dissertation, when her mother passed. Returning to Israel became a transformative journey into her family’s tragic past. Learning about her mother’s private life alters Zohara’s understanding of her legacy and impacts her personal trajectory.
I learned so much about the Yemeni and about Israeli history, the background to one of the most touching love stories I have read in a long time. I loved learning about the Yemeni women’s tradition of singing and songwriting and the role it played in their communal and private lives. The novel is full of wonderfully drawn, complex characters caught in the tides of history.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.
September 13, 2024
Super interesting story about refugees to Israel from Yemen in the early development of Israel juxtaposed with Israel during the 90’s. Beautifully written, somewhat atmospheric. There is love and loss and a lot of personal growth. While I have been to Israel, I was not familiar with the towns in the story. That didn’t matter, the story was still compelling. It is important that we understand the culture and history better especially when the media reports are skewed. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
December 29, 2024
Two intertwined stories concerning Zohara and her nephew Yoni in 1995, and beginning in the 1950s, her mother’s.
Zohara is a 30-ish Yemeni Jew whose family immigrated to Israel in 1950. She flies home after her mother dies and the main story concerns her dealing with her, her sister’s and Yoni’s grief as well as the relationships she abandoned when she left to go overseas. It’s quite touching and well written though a little overwrought, and I did feel that Tsabari tried to jam a little too much current and past history into the story.
On the other hand, I hadn’t known much at all about how shabbily the Yemeni communities were treated in Israel, and it was also informative about the extreme emotions that the Israeli government stirred up in their dealings with the PLO at the time (It is set in the lead-up to Rabin’s assassination in late 1995).
The other story of her mother’s love affair, and how Zohara found out about it was much more formulaic and not nearly as successful as the main one.
3.5 stars, and recommended by Elyse Waters, sadly no longer writing on Goodreads. Thanks Elyse!
Zohara is a 30-ish Yemeni Jew whose family immigrated to Israel in 1950. She flies home after her mother dies and the main story concerns her dealing with her, her sister’s and Yoni’s grief as well as the relationships she abandoned when she left to go overseas. It’s quite touching and well written though a little overwrought, and I did feel that Tsabari tried to jam a little too much current and past history into the story.
On the other hand, I hadn’t known much at all about how shabbily the Yemeni communities were treated in Israel, and it was also informative about the extreme emotions that the Israeli government stirred up in their dealings with the PLO at the time (It is set in the lead-up to Rabin’s assassination in late 1995).
The other story of her mother’s love affair, and how Zohara found out about it was much more formulaic and not nearly as successful as the main one.
3.5 stars, and recommended by Elyse Waters, sadly no longer writing on Goodreads. Thanks Elyse!
March 9, 2025
Historical fiction seems to be a genre I keep gravitating towards every now and then, and Songs for the Brokenhearted was one such example.
Ayelet Tsabari's debut novel is a fairly impressive portrayal of several generations of a Yemeni Jewish family, bookended by their immigration to the newly formed Israel in the 1950s, and the pivotal year in Israel-Palestinian history of 1995.
Told through multiple POV, and alternating between Yaqub and Saida's love story in an immigrant camp, and Saida's daughter, Zohara's return to her home country decades later; the story attempts to weave a complicated thread of the bond between a mother and her daughter, and the unmistakable burden that comes with being uncertain about your own heritage. This was, perhaps, the first time I've read a fictional story set amidst the political turmoil in Israel and Palestine. As a result, I found myself learning a lot of new information about the countries, and grew increasingly intrigued about the historical narrative of the story line.
But while the idea and premise were both incredible, the execution was a bit of a mixed bag for me. There was too little time spent between Yaqub and Saida, which didn't feel enough for the reader to root for their love since that was the only firsthand insight we got into either of their personalities. In contrast, way too much time was spent on Zohara's personal squabbles, some of which felt unnecessary. A lot of name dumping was done throughout and even well into the book, and often times I struggled with keeping up with the new characters and who they were. Every now and then, the pace of the story would also change, and it would leave me feeling a bit stunted and struggling to push through those parts. I was also disappointed to see that a few plot-lines were un-resolved by the end, or left very open ended for some reason.
Despite that, this wasn't a bad debut novel by any means. It did teach me a lot, even down to authentic Yemeni foods, songs, artists, language, and the like. Ultimately, any book that gives me a glimpse into a world I didn't know about deserves some commendation, and Tsabari's debut did just that.
Ayelet Tsabari's debut novel is a fairly impressive portrayal of several generations of a Yemeni Jewish family, bookended by their immigration to the newly formed Israel in the 1950s, and the pivotal year in Israel-Palestinian history of 1995.
Told through multiple POV, and alternating between Yaqub and Saida's love story in an immigrant camp, and Saida's daughter, Zohara's return to her home country decades later; the story attempts to weave a complicated thread of the bond between a mother and her daughter, and the unmistakable burden that comes with being uncertain about your own heritage. This was, perhaps, the first time I've read a fictional story set amidst the political turmoil in Israel and Palestine. As a result, I found myself learning a lot of new information about the countries, and grew increasingly intrigued about the historical narrative of the story line.
But while the idea and premise were both incredible, the execution was a bit of a mixed bag for me. There was too little time spent between Yaqub and Saida, which didn't feel enough for the reader to root for their love since that was the only firsthand insight we got into either of their personalities. In contrast, way too much time was spent on Zohara's personal squabbles, some of which felt unnecessary. A lot of name dumping was done throughout and even well into the book, and often times I struggled with keeping up with the new characters and who they were. Every now and then, the pace of the story would also change, and it would leave me feeling a bit stunted and struggling to push through those parts. I was also disappointed to see that a few plot-lines were un-resolved by the end, or left very open ended for some reason.
Despite that, this wasn't a bad debut novel by any means. It did teach me a lot, even down to authentic Yemeni foods, songs, artists, language, and the like. Ultimately, any book that gives me a glimpse into a world I didn't know about deserves some commendation, and Tsabari's debut did just that.
July 31, 2025
Songs for the Brokenhearted
had me at "songs." Singing grief out is something of which I know the truth. . .singing is one of the deepest ways for the spirit within the human body to express itself in all its passions. And in this book I felt Saida's heart, her hurts, and her never-ending longing for baby Rafael. It was her and Yaqub's story that moved me most, but once Zohara started feeling the pull of the music, the singers who gathered to exercise their cultural muscles, she appealed to me more and more.
Bonus: the audio book ends with Yemeni singing. . . a beautiful way to wrap up this read. These evocative stories have stayed with me. I've added her other books and I am reading my way to more of Ayelet Tsabari's words of wisdom.
*A sincere thank you to Ayelet Tsabari, Random House Publishing Group - Random House, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #SongsfortheBrokenhearted #NetGalley 25|52:31f
Bonus: the audio book ends with Yemeni singing. . . a beautiful way to wrap up this read. These evocative stories have stayed with me. I've added her other books and I am reading my way to more of Ayelet Tsabari's words of wisdom.
*A sincere thank you to Ayelet Tsabari, Random House Publishing Group - Random House, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #SongsfortheBrokenhearted #NetGalley 25|52:31f
September 29, 2024
This book moved me deeply and deserves the widest possible audience. I am a long time fan of Tsabari but her newest work takes her writing to another level. This book will end up on my top 10 for 2024 for sure. Tsabari tells the story of Zohara - a young aimless occasionally unlikeable Israeli of Yemeni descent who returns to Israel from a life of exile abroad when her mother dies. It is 1995 and the country is riled by the threat and promise of peace. Zohara knew her family was complicated but like many children preferred not to ask questions and only comes to understand her mother through death. The primary - but not only vehicle - for this knowledge comes through her mother’s secret recordings of her Yemeni songs. But there is a bigger story here - one of dualities. Tsabari tells us about the Yemeni Jewish emigration experience in the 1950s and their rude welcome by Israelis of Eastern Europe descent - discrimination that persists today. Tsabari paints a portrait of Israeli society riven into division by the 1995 peace process. We come to understand what it means to be an Israeli Jew living among diaspora Jews in NYC. We also keenly observe the mother / daughter relationship (among Zohara and her mother but also with Zohara and her much older sister, and a cast of supporting characters each with a story to tell). Highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.
August 30, 2024
Songs for the Broken-Hearted is a beautiful look into women’s lives, intergenerational misunderstandings and traumas, and the hidden histories of women’s communities and their art. Above all, it’s the story of a woman processing grief over the loss of a mother she never fully knew, learning more about herself through learning about her mother’s life. Gorgeous, evocative writing and unforgettable characters make this is a can't-miss book for fall -- highly recommended.
June 4, 2024
A compelling dual timeline tale of a Yemeni Jewish family who moves to the new state of Israel, and the contrasting world of the daughter, who lives in NYC in 1985, until she learns of her mother's death, then moves home to be with family. Poignant and heartbreaking.
February 11, 2025
Superb new work by a writer I've admired since I encountered her first book, The Best Place on Earth, in its original Canadian edition.
November 11, 2024
What a wonderful book this is. The characters in the book are Yemeni Jews that emigrated to Israel in the 1950’s. The parents of Zohar, the main character, Jewish though they were, the Yemeni Jewish culture was distinctly Arabic, while the majority of Israelis were of a more Eurocentric culture. This provides stark contrast and the modern Yemeni Jews felt very othered by the general culture and were frequently the butt of jokes on TV etc. Some of the dialogue of Zohar’s could have been voiced by a Native American about the culture here. Othering is universal, it seems.
The plot has two timelines, one in the 1950’s and one in the 1980’s. The clash of cultures and the clash of generations are what animate the plot. Zohar is a conflicted main character. She is a person in transition. She has just returned from living in the US. Her attempts to reacclimate to Israel, her recent divorce from an American Jew, as well as trying to have an adult understanding and relationship with her mother created a lot of angst and soul searching for her. I read this book greedily and was sorry when it ended. This book is the author’s first novel but she has published short stories and other writing. In reading the author’s notes at the end, the book is very heavily researched and factual.
The plot has two timelines, one in the 1950’s and one in the 1980’s. The clash of cultures and the clash of generations are what animate the plot. Zohar is a conflicted main character. She is a person in transition. She has just returned from living in the US. Her attempts to reacclimate to Israel, her recent divorce from an American Jew, as well as trying to have an adult understanding and relationship with her mother created a lot of angst and soul searching for her. I read this book greedily and was sorry when it ended. This book is the author’s first novel but she has published short stories and other writing. In reading the author’s notes at the end, the book is very heavily researched and factual.
October 30, 2024
"Songs for the Brokenhearted" by Ayelet Tsabari is an incredible book, and a very timely read given the current turmoil in Israel. It is not a light read, delving into subjects such as generational trauma, racism, and loss of a loved one.. The author does an admirable job portraying differing viewpoints with sensitivity and respect. Told through dual timelines and different points of view, the author skillfully weaves a beautiful tale of historical fiction and romance. The language is gorgeous and almost poetic at times. I loved the strength of the women characters and their perseverance through adversity. This is an emotional read, so be ready to shed a few tears.
Many thanks to NetGally, the publisher, and the author for the privilege of reading an advanced copy of this tremendous work of literary fiction. Five stars well earned!
Many thanks to NetGally, the publisher, and the author for the privilege of reading an advanced copy of this tremendous work of literary fiction. Five stars well earned!
January 4, 2025
I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. It made me feel so much more connected to my yemenite Jewish roots and was also just such a beautiful experience to read a book that reflects my identity. I’ve already recommended and purchased this book as a gift for friends!!!
September 14, 2024
This is a lovely novel about Zohara and her family beginning in 1950 and vacillating between then and 1995. It takes place in both Yemen and Israel as we witness how the family changes as they are forced into an immigrant camp and how nephew Yoni eventually writes an essay explaining their misfortunes...and their joys. It's both spiritual and lyrical as these stories will live on in time! I knew very little about this situation and am grateful to have read about their heartbreaks but also the belief systems that kept them faithful through it all!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
August 16, 2024
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Two timelines [which I quite like!].
Saida, 1950, a married Yemeni Jew living in an overcrowded immigrant camp in Rosh Ha'ayin, meets Yaqub. He hears her singing, They fall in forbidden love; they go their own ways.
Zohara, thirty-something, 1995, returns from New York City where she is a graduate student, upon her mother's [Saida's] death. She has been estranged from both her mother and sister Lizzie, as well as her past life in Israel. Married although separated from her American husband, she feels lost between two worlds especially as she discovers her mother's past and tries to make a connection with who she was and who sheis.
This is about heartbreak and broken people. And how Yemeni Jews feel betwixt and between.
Just a few of the bases covered: Love and friendship and lost opportunities. Discovery. The Mizrahi [Yemeni] Jews vs the Ashkenazi. The community of Yemeni women who are known to sing and write songs as part of their tradition and to record history [they didn't have a voice so they used song]. The treatment of women. Prejudice against those with dark skin. Promises with what would be in Israel and realities. Palestinians. Lots of backstory on both Zohara and Saida. And Yoni, Zohara's rebellious teenaged nephew caught in the maelstrom of Israeli politics, bereft at the death of his beloved grandmother. The disapearance of young children from the camps--very belatedly investigated and to what end? The Oslo Accords and the political conflict in Israel culminating in the death of Rabin.
Some of the descriptions were fabulous:
"friends whom I hadn't seen in years; all had aged into cliches"
"Inside her closet, my mother's dresses hung like ghostly figures."
A description of flight attendants: "Who in their right mind would walk in such shoes? With pointed heels, like small, upside-down pyramids."
And for once humor--when Saida took a plane for the first time and saw her image in the mirror--having never seen one before!
Grudge: so many foreign words that did not show up on the Kindle search; a glossary would have been wonderful!
Tsabari is a Yemeni Jew. She researched extensively for this book though some of it is a memoir.
Beautiful but dense [and sometimes I felt a bit repetitive].
No [real] spoiler; I didn't care for the ending, Still, a recommended read. 4.25.
Two timelines [which I quite like!].
Saida, 1950, a married Yemeni Jew living in an overcrowded immigrant camp in Rosh Ha'ayin, meets Yaqub. He hears her singing, They fall in forbidden love; they go their own ways.
Zohara, thirty-something, 1995, returns from New York City where she is a graduate student, upon her mother's [Saida's] death. She has been estranged from both her mother and sister Lizzie, as well as her past life in Israel. Married although separated from her American husband, she feels lost between two worlds especially as she discovers her mother's past and tries to make a connection with who she was and who sheis.
This is about heartbreak and broken people. And how Yemeni Jews feel betwixt and between.
Just a few of the bases covered: Love and friendship and lost opportunities. Discovery. The Mizrahi [Yemeni] Jews vs the Ashkenazi. The community of Yemeni women who are known to sing and write songs as part of their tradition and to record history [they didn't have a voice so they used song]. The treatment of women. Prejudice against those with dark skin. Promises with what would be in Israel and realities. Palestinians. Lots of backstory on both Zohara and Saida. And Yoni, Zohara's rebellious teenaged nephew caught in the maelstrom of Israeli politics, bereft at the death of his beloved grandmother. The disapearance of young children from the camps--very belatedly investigated and to what end? The Oslo Accords and the political conflict in Israel culminating in the death of Rabin.
Some of the descriptions were fabulous:
"friends whom I hadn't seen in years; all had aged into cliches"
"Inside her closet, my mother's dresses hung like ghostly figures."
A description of flight attendants: "Who in their right mind would walk in such shoes? With pointed heels, like small, upside-down pyramids."
And for once humor--when Saida took a plane for the first time and saw her image in the mirror--having never seen one before!
Grudge: so many foreign words that did not show up on the Kindle search; a glossary would have been wonderful!
Tsabari is a Yemeni Jew. She researched extensively for this book though some of it is a memoir.
Beautiful but dense [and sometimes I felt a bit repetitive].
No [real] spoiler; I didn't care for the ending, Still, a recommended read. 4.25.
June 18, 2025
This was a quietly layered story about intergenerational trauma. The book was told from different timelines and perspectives about a Yemeni Jewish family. The plot takes place in New York but mainly Isreal.
For some reason, the characters were difficult to connect with. I never really grew to care about them or what happened to them. This was my main issue with the book. Without connection, I wasn't able to feel emotion, although I desperately wanted to.
The history and cultural information were super interesting. I learned a lot about Jewish practices, Yemen culture, and the ins and outs of living in Isreal. The intergenerational trauma was, at times, engaging and relatable.
For some reason, the characters were difficult to connect with. I never really grew to care about them or what happened to them. This was my main issue with the book. Without connection, I wasn't able to feel emotion, although I desperately wanted to.
The history and cultural information were super interesting. I learned a lot about Jewish practices, Yemen culture, and the ins and outs of living in Isreal. The intergenerational trauma was, at times, engaging and relatable.
May 4, 2025
This book gripped me. We sink into three different narratives, each a different generation and a different timeline, though they all overlap. I learned about painful things I knew nothing about, like the stolen children, and beautiful things, like women’s music which was their only outlet in a society that kept them locked up. What I wasn’t expecting, and was hard to bear, was the self-loathing of the MC. I’m so glad the book too a turn towards healing.
July 7, 2024
Songs for the Brokenhearted takes place in the 1950s and 1995. The main character, Zohara is a Yemeni Jew who has now returned to Israel (1995) after the death of her mother, Saida. Previously she lived in Yemen and in the US when she was married (now divorced). We learn Zohara's mother's story, including the loss of a child, and the journey the family took seeking safety.
During the 1950’s chapters, the book focuses on Yaqub, a young man who falls in love with Saida while in an immigrant camp but she is married and there is no future for them. The historical issues of the Arab-Israeli conflict play a large part in Yaqub’s life and this shows us in part, some of the reasons why it's so difficult to achieve peace in that region.
Zohara and her older sister Lizzie have a very difficult relationship. Lizzie is ten years older and doesn’t understand Zohara and the life she leads, coming and going, as she pleases. While Zohara is cleaning out her mother’s house after her death, she finds out more about her mother ie her love of singing and her writing of “Women’s Songs” and about a man her mother loved while she was in a loveless marriage.
An interesting read and I learned some more about the Jewish culture and the Yemeni Jewish peoples.
Well worth the read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for my eARC.
During the 1950’s chapters, the book focuses on Yaqub, a young man who falls in love with Saida while in an immigrant camp but she is married and there is no future for them. The historical issues of the Arab-Israeli conflict play a large part in Yaqub’s life and this shows us in part, some of the reasons why it's so difficult to achieve peace in that region.
Zohara and her older sister Lizzie have a very difficult relationship. Lizzie is ten years older and doesn’t understand Zohara and the life she leads, coming and going, as she pleases. While Zohara is cleaning out her mother’s house after her death, she finds out more about her mother ie her love of singing and her writing of “Women’s Songs” and about a man her mother loved while she was in a loveless marriage.
An interesting read and I learned some more about the Jewish culture and the Yemeni Jewish peoples.
Well worth the read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for my eARC.
July 21, 2025
Synagogue book club choice was a good one. A multigenerational historical fiction on a topic not explored very often in English - the absorption of the Jewish population of Yemen into the state of Israel in the 1940s and 1950s. Yemeni Jews arrived to the land they had yearned for in heart and song, where they wouldn’t have to pay the yearly dhimmi tax to their Muslim rulers, and were shocked by their landing into a dominant culture of largely secular Jews of Ashkenazi background. This dominant culture in turn misunderstood the highly traditional, conservative, religious, and poor group of Jews arriving from Yemen and much too often treated them with paternalistic disdain. This clash of expectation and idealized narratives vs reality shapes the themes that run through the narrative, of self-discovery, assimilation, rebellion, and, yeah, impossible love stories.
The somewhat odd-fitting aspect of the text is its leftwing ethos and central characters; Mizrahi Israelis are quite well known to be rightwing politically, so it seems a bit odd for Mizrahi representation to present like this, hostile to the Israeli right. And at one point the text does nod to this irony.
The somewhat odd-fitting aspect of the text is its leftwing ethos and central characters; Mizrahi Israelis are quite well known to be rightwing politically, so it seems a bit odd for Mizrahi representation to present like this, hostile to the Israeli right. And at one point the text does nod to this irony.
July 8, 2024
Songs for the Brokenhearted is such a beautiful, meaningful book. Set in Israel in the 1950's and 1990's, it tells the story of a Yemeni Jewish family. It's a tale of forbidden love, loss, immigration, abandonment, and family family dynamics. I learned so much of the rich history of the Yemeni Jewish people and the history of Israel. The lead character,, Zohara,, is so complicated and fascinating. Her mother's story is both sad and joyful. It has a very satisfying ending, but I was sad to see it end. This is a lovely book.
April 24, 2025
4.5
This is one of those books I really, really wish I could remember who recommended it, because I need to thank them. It's not perfect, but boy is it good.
It's a novel about otherness, and outsiders, and belonging, and what makes "home" your home. It explores some ugly truths about Israel, which will be painful for some. It gives a really good foundation for the current issues the country now faces.
It's an enlightening, heartbreaking, loving, forgiving look at a woman trying to understand and fit into her family, her community, and find her own story. I loved it.
This is one of those books I really, really wish I could remember who recommended it, because I need to thank them. It's not perfect, but boy is it good.
It's a novel about otherness, and outsiders, and belonging, and what makes "home" your home. It explores some ugly truths about Israel, which will be painful for some. It gives a really good foundation for the current issues the country now faces.
It's an enlightening, heartbreaking, loving, forgiving look at a woman trying to understand and fit into her family, her community, and find her own story. I loved it.
December 21, 2024
I loved this book so much. It was a beautiful, heartwrenching portrait of Yemeni Jewish life in Israel, in which I learned lots. Its themes of identity and grief were incredibly well handled. I enjoyed all of the characters.
It was incredibly well written and I cried several times.
Highly recommend!
It was incredibly well written and I cried several times.
Highly recommend!
October 25, 2025
I learned much I had no knowledge of: the Yemeni Jews that fled to Israel thinking it was their Holy land only to be treated poorly as second class immigrants by the dominant Ashkenazi Jews! So sad to find this out…
Displaying 1 - 30 of 403 reviews