Take Two

by Riva Pomerantz

What’s wrong, Miri?” “I — I don’t even know!” Miri cried. “I just don’t even know!” “Shhhhhh,” soothed Yocheved. “Tell me what’s going on. Why are you crying? You don’t feel like the perfect balebuste? Your brownies flopped or something? I really hope you’re not bawling your eyes out over, like, the quiche falling in, or whatever…” Miri shook her head miserably. “Aryeh is never home.” Newlyweds Aryeh and Miri Kleinerman should really be the perfect couple; they both come from prominent families and seem destined for a blissful life together. True, they’re polar opposites — Aryeh’s the life of the party and Miri’s quiet and timid, but both have high hopes for their future. Yet Aryeh’s mysterious behavior puts Miri on edge. Why is he constantly distracted and hardly home? Doesn’t he care about their marriage? This gripping novel explores the depth and breadth of our most significant relationships, opening a rare window on the vivid, true-to-life realities of heartbreak, conflicting loyalties, and intergenerational patterns that beg to be addressed. In Take Two, bestselling author Riva Pomerantz tells a compelling story about complex people and the amorphous lines that crisscross their shared lives, creating chaos, confusion, and chasms. Can Aryeh and Miri unite to rewrite the parameters of their marriage, and can they gather the courage to “take two” and give each other a second chance?

456 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2024

Reviews

[Frum Books]

A provocative family drama breaks through the intricate webs of our relationships and balances masterfully crafted characters, emotional depth, and penetrating themes. Miri’s new marriage is nothing like she dreamed of, with her husband Aryeh distracted and disappearing. When crisis pushes her to put her foot down, she discovers that her husband’s evasion hides a house of cards teetering on edge. As layers of pain and dysfunction peel away, the chasm that’s left seems impossible to overcome. Can a vulnerable couple rebuild after generations of enmeshment? A nuanced exploration of parents, children, victimhood, and change.