Shrug

by Lisa Braver Moss

Martha Goldenthal isn’t your typical 1960s Berkeley radical. Her rebellion isn’t sex, drugs, or rock ’n’ roll―it’s doing well at Berkeley High and planning for college. Her father, Jules, is a raging batterer who, because of his own insecurities, hates academia. Not that her off-the-rails mother, Willa, is much better. Meanwhile, Jules’s classical record store, located directly across the street from the U.C. Berkeley campus, is ground zero for riots and tear gas. No wonder Martha has a nervous tic―a shrug of the shoulder.

Preoccupied with the family situation and barely able to concentrate, Martha plods along in school and somehow manages to achieve. But her parents’ hideous divorce, the loss of her father’s record store and livelihood, a heartless eviction from the family home, and an unlikely custody case wind up putting Martha in Jules’s care. Can she stand up to her father and do the one thing she’s sure she must―go to college?

With its running “soundtrack” of classical recordings and rock music and its vivid scenes of Berkeley at its most turbulent, Shrug is the absorbing, harrowing, and ultimately uplifting story of one young woman’s journey toward independence.

Genres: Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published August 13, 2019

About the author

Lisa Braver Moss is the author of the novels The Measure of His Grief (Notim Press, 2010) and the award-winning Shrug (She Writes Press, 2019). Her essays have appeared in Parents, Ms. (forthcoming), the Huffington Post, Tikkun, Lilith, and many other publications.

Lisa's nonfiction book credits include Celebrating Family: Our Lifelong Bonds with Parents and Siblings (Wildcat Canyon Press, 1999) and, as co-author, The Mother's Companion: A Comforting Guide to the Early Years of Motherhood (Council Oak Books, 2001). She is also the co-author of Celebrating Brit Shalom (Notim Press, 2015), the first-ever book of ceremonies and music for Jewish families seeking alternatives to circumcision.

Born in Berkeley, California, Lisa still lives in the area with her husband, with whom she has two grown sons.​

Reviews

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shrug is a story of Martha Goldenthal who has a tic - she shrugs her shoulder uncontrollably especially when faced in a stressful situation.

All she wants is to do well in school so she can go to college. But her dysfunctional home life, with an abusive father and a mother who is constantly belittling her makes everything feels so impossible.

Set in the 1960’s, Martha also has to contend with her father’s classical record store right in the middle of politically active Berkley. Moss wrote Martha’s voice and character in a way that will resonate to those whose teenage life had even a bit of angst. I thought that the book was well written about a young woman’s harrowing and difficult journey towards adulthood. This story is semi-autobiographical based on the author’s life.

[Dawnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Berkeley California. A coming of age story about a very dysfunctional family. This deals with violence and abuse. This story shook me! It was intense, well written and vivid. Along the lines of Educated and The Glass Castle. Heartbreaking and powerful.

Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY

[Grant Leishman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed For Reader's Favorite by Grant Leishman

SHRUG by Lisa Braver Moss is one of those sleeper type books that starts out slowly and creeps up on you, before grabbing you by the throat and demanding that you pay attention to it. Martha Goldenthal is a young woman growing up in the 60’s in the centre of politically active Berkley. Caught between the awakening sexual revolution, the Vietnam War, and parents she neither understands or likes, but strangely wants approval from, she is shy, timid and lacking in any confidence whatsoever as she takes on board and internalises the constant belittling and criticism of her mother. Coupled with a father who clearly loves her but has immense anger issues and is unable to control his fists, Martha lives in constant fear of one or the other, usually both, parents. Unable to form a positive self-opinion, Martha grows up succeeding at school but unable to figure out why – after all she’s dumb, isn’t she? With her two siblings, elder sister Hildy and younger brother Drew, plus her best friend Stephanie, Martha must somehow navigate the difficult waters of adolescence and teenage years without going crazy, getting hooked on drugs and alcohol, getting pregnant, or choosing suicide as a way out.

As stated, this story, SHRUG, really crept up on me. Author Lisa Braver Moss has created a character, in Martha, that is vividly recognisable to anyone who has come from even a mildly dysfunctional family, of which Martha’s is far worse. She has to grow up quickly and face issues that are adult and above her understanding but she determinedly struggles for acceptance, understanding and love. I particularly enjoyed the pop culture references to the period (my own period of childhood). I, as a reader, saw a strong metaphor between the two clashing worlds Martha was caught between, represented by the old order (Classical Music and Conservatism) and the rising tide of youth anger and rebellion (Rock Music and Protest). Without the definitive guidance of a parent, Martha floundered between the two orders, never feeling she managed to fit into either. Her mother, the one woman she defended and loved, rejected her outright and her father, she felt, only begrudgingly accepted her, preferring, it seemed ot her, her older sister over her. For anyone who has felt this teenage angst of rejection I have no doubt Martha’s story rang true and close to home. For me, this was a wonderful, Young Adult, Coming of Age, novel that is as relevant now, as the period in which it was set. One felt it was semi-autobiographical and the author had an intense personal experience to draw on, to write some of the more emotional passages. I can highly recommend this read.

[Linda Zagon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Linda's Book Obsession Reviews "Shrug" by Lisa Braver Moss, She Writes Press, August 13, 2020, for Suzy Approves Book Tours

Lisa Braver Moss, the author of "Shrug" has written an intense, captivating, memorable, and thought-provoking novel. The genres for this book are Coming of Age, Domestic Fiction, with some Historical Fiction. The timeline for this book is set in the 1960s.  There is a theme of popular music of the times and classical music, and I was thrilled to see some Beatles songs and others mentioned. The story takes place near Berkley, and there are mentions of riots and tear-gassing. The author also discusses domestic violence against children and spouses. The author describes the characters as complex and complicated. The family is dysfunctional, and some of the characters are unbalanced and mean-spirited.

The Goldenthal family is a highly dysfunctional volcano that is waiting to erupt. Unfortunately for the children, Martha, Hilda, and Drew, they witness the physical and emotional abuse from their father Jules, and their mother Willa.  Martha tries her best in school as she is growing up, and she excels at singing and playing the violin. Martha develops a nervous habit of a "shrug", Hilda and the youngest Drew also are pretty much fending for themselves.

Through Martha's narration, we see the difficulties and troublesome times, and how friendships are so important. I appreciate that the author discusses issues of family abandonment, and how emotional and physical abuse can affect children. I would recommend this powerful, deep, dark, memorable, emotional, and thought-provoking story.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa Braver Moss is a new to me author, and I am glad that I was introduced to her. Lisa Braver Moss writes a great story about Martha, a teenager growing up in the 1960s and her family. A wonderfully descriptive story about the struggles Martha has as the “odd duck” of her family with a mother who thinks that much of the world damages a child’s psyche, and a father who is abusive, yet loving, to his wife and children. With an older sister who can do no wrong and a younger brother who is the baby of the family, Martha finds herself trying to please everyone and yet is miserable at the same time. Lisa Braver Moss has a way of telling the story of Martha in such a way that you feel all that she is feeling and want nothing more than a happy ending for her. Although set in the 1960s, I felt like I knew exactly what it was like to grow up in the 1960s even though I was born 20 years later. I really enjoyed Lisa Braver Moss's writing and the characters that she developed. I enjoyed rooting for Martha throughout the story, while at the same time knowing that nothing was going to change for her. I really enjoyed this book, and hope you will too!!!

[Jonathan Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

“All I could was hope, because I didn’t have a backup plan. Backup plans were for people who weren’t already pushing their luck just in having regular plans.”

I recently had the pleasure of reading Lisa Braver Moss’s book “Shrug”, a coming of age story about a young girl from a dysfunctional family. We may all think that we come from difficult families, but “Shrug” describes a truly harrowing upbringing from a singular perspective and point in time. In the same vein as “Educated”, the young protagonist describes parents whose view of life are completely out of the mainstream and her struggle to satisfy the conflicting demands of family and the greater world at large. The book is written for teen girls and I found myself racing to the end to see how it would all end. I would recommend this book to any adult, for it's take no prisoners account of child abuse and for the ways in which a child’s perspective illuminates the adult world. I heartily recommend this book; it is a great read.

Jonathan Gill

[Heidi Daniele · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main character Martha completely engages the reader by revealing the complex emotions brought on by living in an abusive home. The author brings the reader into this young girls thought process and allows you to clearly see she simply wants to feel loved. Shrug is a wonderful novel that acknowledges the struggles of children raised by dysfuntional parents. I love Martha and cheered for her thoughout the book.

[Barbara Ridley · Rating 5 out of 5]

So authentic it reads like a memoir, an account of a troubled teenager growing up in Berkeley in the turbulent 1960's, the middle child of a quirky, indifferent mother and an abusive, absent-minded father, navigating all the usual trials of adolescence, while trying to make sense of her chaotic family life, find herself, and rescue her younger brother. A fascinating glimpse into that era, with a message of survival and triumph. The thread of eclectic musical references stemming from the narrator's father's work in a record store and her own musical talents, adds another layer to this delightful coming-of-age novel.

[Amanda Hupe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not sure what to expect after I read the first chapter of Shrug by Lisa Braver Moss. The book introduces readers to Martha. She is one of three children, growing up in the 1960s. The first discovery about Martha is her shrug. She developed this nervous tick and has little control over it, except for when she is singing. She has perfect pitch and loves music. It is definitely an escape from her home life. Her parents fight often. Her father is physically abusive and her mother is mentally abusive. Not only that but she is growing up in a period of political turmoil. With her world crumbling down around her, will she be able to escape and go to college?

This coming-of-age book hits so many emotions. I wanted to scoop up Hildy, Martha and Drew and protect them from the awful home life they had to endure. No child should ever have to experience such horror. Despite their home life, they have hope and passions. These characters felt so real. Their reactions to the events seem so realistic and it evoked so many emotions. There were moments that I had tears streaming down my cheeks.

The characters are what make this book shine. It is absolutely impossible to put down. I have read several coming-of-age novels and there are times when the pace is slow, that is not the case with this book. It moves at an incredible pace. I also really enjoyed the musical aspect of the book. There are so many references to music throughout the story as if it is a soundtrack to Martha’s life. I really recommend this book. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. It is currently available for pre-order and will be available on August 13th!!

Thank you, JKS Communications and the author for a copy of this book.

[Rita Dragonette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moss has a tremendous gift for voice and symbols, ear for music, talent for compulsively readable prose and feel for the tender years where a girl keeps trying to do the right thing even if the “rules” keep changing. Teenage Martha has perfect pitch, an overdeveloped sense of responsibility for her manically dysfunctional family, a quest for logic, and a myopia about her gifts. You can see her trying to assimilate what’s happening into some type of remedy for how to make her parents love and behave as they should. The harder she tries the more she’s told not to take things so seriously. No wonder she has the stress-induced tic of a shrug. This novel, which reads like a “you-are-there” memoir, takes achingly relatable teenage angst and subjects it to parents so off-the-rails that the explosive Berkeley antics around the Vietnam War “outside,” pale next to the domestic horror of the war at home…and then sets it to music. A book with a voice for generations, from Boomers to their grandchildren.

[Lynne Bosche · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I surely find fiction engrossing, only two novels have left me in tears. The first was long ago, upon finishing Wallace Stegner’s All the Little Live Things. The second is Shrug, which surely puts author Lisa Braver Moss in excellent company.

Though an all too realistic story about a dysfunctional family, I didn’t want Shrug to end. Moss draws the reader in with an intimate view of smart, yet innocent Martha navigating challenges leading up to high school graduation. Small yet significant details evoke Martha’s life in Berkeley, helping out at her father’s store right across from the student protests on the Cal campus, down to the peculiar customers, period-specific candies and musical choices that bring this girl’s life right into the heart of the reader. You will see why Shrug has received awards, as it offers an important story for many others following along the bumpy road to independence. Martha plays violin, sings in choir and studies Latin with the energy of a focused “good girl” all while navigating the bloom of first sexual attractions – so it is a shock when physical violence, parental neglect and eventual abandonment arise in this educated and fascinating family.

Moss wisely resisted providing much backstory of the parents’ trauma-inducing actions, keeping the focus on Martha’s perspective; she’s a teen maintaining her academic focus and caring for her younger brother in the midst of her surprising circumstances. Martha has a friend who is a central grounding influence, providing advice, supportive sleepovers and healthy meals so there is modeling of sources of strength. However, a tension builds throughout the book; will Martha crumble, or will she perhaps flee Berkeley to begin her own story?

Schools would be wise to have Shrug in their libraries and counseling offices. It is important to note that this story upends several stereotypes of teens who find themselves in the midst of a "bad family situation." It would take years of increasing insight for Martha to understand her childhood; no matter how perceptive she appears in navigating through familial chaos, she was left to carry much emotional weight. I hope that Moss has preserved material which would give us more of this character’s ongoing story – Shrug begs for a sequel.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martha Goldenthal is simply trying to navigate through life in 1960's California. As the world changes around her, Martha's life seems to be imploding. Martha's parents are both abusive; from making Martha believe she isn't good enough to physical violence, Martha's family life has made her develop a tic. Martha shrugs her shoulder whenever she feels nervous or uncomfortable, the shrug only goes away when she is playing music. Her siblings have manifested physical symptoms as well. Martha feels she has to be better to win her parents affection: good grades, believing in her mother's strange habits and having the same interests as her father. Martha struggles as her home life becomes more unstable over time, if she can make it to college and get out on her own, she just might make it.

Shrug is a coming-of-age story set in the Bay Area in the 1960's. This is a story built on hope and strong characters. While no major climax of events happens in the story, Martha's growth and gradual change of mindset take center stage. Anyone who has lived through any kind of domestic strife or abuse could easily relate to Martha's situation. The writing deftly conveyed the amount of anxiety and complex emotions that Martha dealt with within herself and her family. I knew exactly what Martha was going through as her family life was falling apart but she still knew she had to do well on all of her homework or try to console her mother even though her mother did not care about her comfort. I also understood her tick and how and why it manifested as well as the impact it had on her life. I loved the inclusion of the music of the era and the impact that it had on Martha. The classical music in the beginning and the change to pop music reflected the turbulence of the time period along with her home life but the calming undercurrent of classical stayed throughout. While the ending of the book might not have seen everything solved for Martha or her family, it gave a distinct impression of hope and a brighter future which is exactly what anyone in Martha's situation is looking for.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

[Carolyn Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each domestic abuse situation is unique but for three truths. The child victims of abuse divine deep down that things aren't supposed to be this way. Mother cats are not supposed to eat their kittens. They also defend as best they can against these mysterious brutalities. And under the defenses lies the terrible conviction: the parents' behavior must somehow be the children's fault.
In Shrug, a fiction book whose themes align with the memoirs of Tara Westover's Educated and Jeanette Walls' Glass Castle, Lisa Braver Moss captures the simultaneous fragility and toughness of a child whose odds for success are decidedly against her.
Set in Berkeley in the 1960's, Martha's story unfolds in a series of sharply felt vignettes from kindergarten to her senior year of high school. Her mother, Willa, full of psychobabble and bizarre convictions (she doesn't believe in Kleenex), abdicates mothering in favor of whimpering (with toilet paper) in front of the television. Her father, Julius, owns a record store on Telegraph Avenue, and swings between battering rages, dishing out money for fast-food suppers, and sneering openly about his customers' bad tastes in music.
Her older sister, Hildy, placates their father and Martha strives to redirect her mother's bile. Both girls try to cushion their prime-number-reciting little brother Drew. Except from her friend Stephanie, whose humor and empathy are life-preservers, Martha has three secrets. Despite how often she's criticized for it, her single-shoulder shrug is something she can't control. She is certain her good grades are belied by an unfathomable stupidity. And her perfect pitch and love for classical music go unregistered by her father.
The energy coiled beneath Martha's tic seems a somatic expression of her attempts to escape the straight jacket of her family's relentless misery. Martha's voice -- enraged, bewildered, tender, and sometimes prescient -- make us root for this young person who imagines herself on a mostly down roller-coaster ride. We're white-knuckling it with her, and cheer her on as she valiantly struggles to get off and out.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shrug is a window into extreme family dysfunction seen through the eyes of Martha, the sensitive, intelligent and incredibly resilient narrator of her own childhood. Martha is a survivor of great strength, managing to make her way through life despite what her mother and father do and do not do in their roles as parental stewards. As Martha moves from the world of childhood to that of young adulthood, her voice matures as does the way she deals with what would otherwise be an impossible way to grow up. I found myself rooting for Martha, an intelligent and endearing girl and then young woman, all the way through the book, hoping that she would somehow overcome the physical and verbal abuse that characterized her childhood.

In an interview with the author entitled, "Why Write About Trauma" (Women Writers, Women's Books), Braver Moss said that she loves “...taking disorder and making something cohesive out of it.” What I believe she has done in her autobiographical story is give hope to others who have experienced similar traumas growing up. Braver Moss brings out Martha’s pain and strengths with every abusive incident that she recounts. It appears that Martha eventually understands that the violence in her home was not her fault. I appreciated Martha’s increasingly mature interactions and reactions and even felt joy for her when I read that she reached young adulthood with a direction for a good future.

This story of growing up in the 60s takes place in Berkeley, California, my own birthplace. My parents moved away, however, to nearby suburbs where, although only 15 miles away, coming of age had an entirely different flavor. Reading the trials and tribulations of someone my age growing up in Berkeley (so near yet so far!) intrigued me. Braver Moss captures the political and social ambiance of that era in Berkeley's unique culture. She paints a vivid picture of a protagonist’s coming of age in a backdrop of political, social and familial upheaval. I highly recommend Shrug, a sensitive, deeply troubling story of domestic violence, but one that is also written with lightness and humor.

[Billy Buttons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Shrug: A Novel
Author: Lisa Braver Moss

Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 16
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 9/10
Of the 16 readers:
16 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
16 felt it was easy to follow.
16 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 9 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
15 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
16 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
‘The best way to describe this novel is ‘uplifting’. And it really is. I loved the historical setting; that was super-interesting. I also liked Martha and felt for her as attempts to get through family life and stand up to the dad. This is a fab book for teenagers.’ Girl, aged 15
‘Interesting characters and lots of dilemmas for the girl to overcome. The music and the setting were very original as I have never read a book set in 1960s. I thought it was educational but also a very interesting read. It’s a sort of coming-of-age story but I’m glad I don’t have the family she has. I would read another book by this author.’ Girl, aged 14
‘I didn’t even know where Berkeley was until I read this book. Great characters. The parents are particularly complex – and also a bit stupid. I don’t think they have any idea how to raise children. The narrator has a good voice for this novel; she’s sensitive and often confused by the adults and how they behave.’ Boy, aged 16
‘Amazing novel. Loved it. I really got into the characters’ heads. Teenagers will find this gripping. I did!’ Girl, aged 15

To Sum It Up:
‘A complex and compelling coming-of-age story. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[Elizabeth Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you were an anxious teenager or a teen filled with self-doubt, you will find yourself in this book. Lisa Braver Moss's Shrug is the story of Martha, a middle child growing up in an abusive family who feels a loyalty to her incompetent mother and a well-justified dislike for her physically abusive father. She develops a physical tic in response to the trauma of her home life but finds chosen family in her friendship circle. Martha is complex, thoughtful, and, because the story is told in the first person past tense, able to narrate the story of her adolescence from some age beyond it. We don't know what that age is, but it's hard to imagine a story told from the point of view of a teenager that would resonate as deeply with an adult reader as this one does.

Lisa Braver Moss renders scenes that are vivid both visually and aurally because of the musical references that weave throughout the narrative. I grew up on the east coast, too young to have lived through the 60s, and my classical music education is lacking. Still, I could hear the soundtrack in my head, see the street life, imagine the protests, and fully grok life in Berkeley and Oakland from the perspective of a troubled young person singularly focused on protecting her family and her future despite the conflicts that required her to navigate.

This is a beautifully written, evocative book that will draw you in and remind you to be proud to have survived whatever trauma or challenge you had to overcome as a younger person. And if you're a young person you'll find an ally in Martha, whose grit, perseverance, and honest reflection on the occasional faultiness of her own moral compass will help you stand up for yourself and others when you need to, and forgive yourself when you make mistakes.

[Sarah Relyea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shrug takes place in 1960s Berkeley, a place I know from experience. The author captures the city’s quirky, experimental spirit and its late-1960s atmosphere of protest, family disintegration, anti-authoritarianism, and music of many kinds. Most remarkably, she tells a family story that is so gripping that these public events become almost a backdrop for the strange and abusive ideas and behavior that the protagonist’s parents inflict on her and her siblings. Martha Goldenthal comes of age in a household where violence and casual cruelty are the norm—a world much harder to navigate than the cultural changes of the 1960s. Martha’s pathological parents denounce her as “rigid” for functioning well, the family abuse interferes with her school work, and she nearly becomes homeless due to her mother's capricious neglect. Yet Martha manages to find refuge in music and support from people who recognize her musical talents. Meanwhile, her social awkwardness offers a kind of shelter from the storm that was 1960s Berkeley.

Although Shrug could be seen as a YA novel, it is more accurately described as a coming-of-age novel for people of all ages. The story is psychologically complex, subtle in what it chooses to leave to the imagination, and deft in conveying the mix of awareness and self-delusion in a young girl’s attachment to a cold, uncaring mother. I highly recommend this book.

[Suzette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A graceful depiction of an abusive family, during adolescence

This was a very moving book. The author's honest and candid reflections of what it's like to be in an unstable family in the 1960s was poignant. I've lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 30 years. I worked very near the main location in the book in the 1980s and early 1990s. The events of the 1960s were still very fresh in people's minds even then. The city of Berkeley and the shop described in this book are familiar to me. The memory of student demonstrations and the political ramifications of all that occurred were very present in the shop I worked in. The musical references also recreated the atmosphere of Berkeley in the 1960s.
Living in doubt and fear - with no real support -- is something that happened to me, as a young person. I have so much empathy for the protagonist in this book. She also finds allies and kindness among friends and chosen family. I recommend this book highly. I have sent copies to several people I love. I think if you read this, you might understand some of the people in your life, better. Maybe those who don't always speak about what happened to them.

[Robin Epstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this book. Shrug is an outstanding coming-of-age story about surviving two volatile, destructive parents whose quirky ideas are a cover for abuse and neglect of their three children.

Despite the difficult subject matter, this is not a gloomy book. Other than the parents, the characters are likeable. Lisa Braver Moss has made this novel relatively optimistic. The main character, Martha, faces many perils and succeeds against the odds. As a narrator, she is likeable and engaging.

Shrug is revealing about the place and time—Berkeley in the 1960s. Although 1960s Berkeley was a very turbulent place, however, it pales beside the craziness of the Goldenthals’ home life. Although the city is a ground zero for riots and tear gas, it is easier for Martha to tolerate than the psychological warfare perpetrated by her mother. The home is a war zone.

As a former child welfare social worker, I found Shrug insightful and moving. It takes the reader on an emotional journey. As Martha connects with people who show interest in her, we root for her to journey away from her family. The book works well as a novel for adults.

[wellreadtraveler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A shrug, a twitch, a nervous tick, basically our bodies reacting to something it doesn’t like on our behalf. You don’t want it to happen and can’t stop it from occurring even though you’re expecting it. Martha has dealt with this her whole life. Whenever she gets nervous or upset in anyway her shoulder gives a little shrug. Her parents and her teachers don’t seem to understand she has no control over this and certainly would stop it if she could. Martha’s father is physically abusive and her mother is distant and emotionally unavailable leaving Martha and her siblings in a very dysfunctional family. Martha’s father is set in his ways and doesn’t mind speaking his mind, even if it’s berating his own customers in their distasteful choice of music. If the life of a teenager isn’t complicated enough Martha must navigate the rocky relationship with her parents and wanting to get into college like her friends.
At times the story can be raw and emotional but this is what draws you in and holds you throughout the book. I was so invested in Martha and her well being and wanted to see her become better despite the hand she was dealt.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished the book days ago and I can’t get these incredible characters out of my head. We journey with Martha, coming of age in turbulent 1960s America, as she navigates her own violent familial world.

Lisa Braver Moss paints a vivid picture encapsulating the strongest and rawest of human emotions: empathy, defeat, anger, rage, provocation, desperation, ambiguity, and hope. We watch as she ultimately discovers the human importance of believing in your own truth (even when there is often no one else to echo or mirror them for you) and confront these deafening emotions.

Shrug, like its main character Martha, is perceptive, honest, funny, heartbreaking, but also incredibly hopeful and strong. There’s such universality in the way Lisa Braver Moss approaches her writing; it really is a book that relates to anyone who longs (or has ever once longed) to be seen and understood and loved. Even in the most simplest of ways.

[Rifka Kreiter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set against the fervid background of Berkeley in the sixties, Shrug is rich with colorful characters, vivid descriptions and subtle insights. Teenager Martha Goldenthal—deeply musical and ever-afflicted with her signature tic—carries you though her ghastly childhood with her pitch-perfect voice. The closely observed details of her life capture in high relief the psychic knots all too familiar to anyone raised in an abusive family.
Moss’s graceful prose brings you along on this poignant coming-of-age journey with pathos and humor. You’ll reach the end with warm tears and a sigh of satisfaction.
Rifka Kreiter
Author Home Free: Adventures of a Child of the Sixties

[Gilion Dumas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa Braver Moss' new novel Shrug is drawn from her own tumultuous adolescence in 1960s Berkeley, California. Teen-aged Martha must navigate the complexities of home life with a violent father who owns a record store and a mother who is off the rails. Instead of going downhill herself, all Martha wants to do is finish high school go to college. The stress in her life manifests itself in a tic she can't control – a shrug of her shoulder.

The 1960s were a time of social chaos and cultural vitality in Berkeley. This setting makes a good backdrop for the story because the chaos on the streets juxtaposes with the chaos in Martha’s home. Braver Moss does a great job with this teen coming-of-age story, successfully getting the voice of a teen age girl and the point of view of a teenager living with domestic violence.

[Donna Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

SHRUG vividly chronicles the life and coming-of-age of Martha, middle-child of abusive, clueless, and dangerously self-absorbed parents, Jules and Willa. It also chronicles just as vividly a distinct and pivotal time and place in modern American history: Berkeley, California, in the 1960s, as the anti-war movement is growing and the counterculture is emerging. I was particularly captivated by the narrator’s voice—Martha is observant, caring, hopeful, searching, and, at times, heartbreakingly wise. As her turbulent life parallels the turbulent times, music becomes a refuge and a soundtrack—for Martha and for the reader. The author is remarkably skilled in storytelling, setting, dialogue, and creating authentic characters. I loved Martha and didn’t want to say goodbye to her as the book came to its very satisfying ending.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the sentence-level writing of this deeply emotional YA novel may not grab you at first, the sheer and heart-felt reality of a child dealing with a dysfunctional family will. Narrator Martha is growing up in Berkeley in the 60s, but the biggest war she's protesting is the one between her abusive father and depressive mother, a war whose impact shatters the lives of Martha and her siblings.

Realistic description, astute attention to detail (for instance, the depressing smell of her mom and the distressing food she inflicts on her kids) and observation of Berkeley from the ground zero of her father's record store outside campus add a dimension to a struggling, hard-won coming of age novel. And an undercurrent of music and popular culture ground the book in its period.

Warning, there is violence and some scenes not for the faint of stomach.

[Jazztonight · Rating 5 out of 5]

The music, the books, and the vibe of 1960s Berkeley, CA provide a wonderful backdrop for this coming-of-age book, as the author deftly weaves a tale that draws us in and takes us on Martha's journey through a rocky period of her teenage life.

Parents are rarely perfect, and neither are marriages. An interesting twist in the narrative is how an abusive husband, after splitting from his victimized (and abusive-in-her-own-way) wife, somehow finds a way to gather his three children and provide some of the support they need, even as his own life and business are unraveling. Life is complicated, folks. In spite of the hardships, disappointments and failures, we watch as our main character does, indeed, find her way.

A compelling work, suitable for adults and young adults. You'll like it.

[Bethany Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading historical fiction and Lisa does an amazing job depicting life in 1960 with UC Berkley as part of the backdrop.
Her writing style is smooth and flows really well and kept my interest from the beginning.
With her end goal being to get an education - Martha, Hilda and Drew have a VERY bumpy road ahead.
Their parents (Jules and Willa) - just wow. Domestic violence is a regular occurrence in her home. Her father doesn’t know when enough a enough.
Martha does her best to excel in school and also participated in music. The other two tend to fend for themselves.
This story is a mixture of heartbreak, tenderness, fear, hope and memorable and emotional. It’s a ride worth taking.

[Sasha Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

SHRUG, by Lisa Braver Moss, is a great read. Written in first person, Martha, a teenager in Berkeley, California in the 60's, is a likable, flawed character trying to survive, thrive, and make sense of her turbulent, dysfunctional family during her vulnerable adolescent years. Martha's father owns a record store and Lisa uses this connection with music to set a musical tone to the book that brings a vibrant and lyrical dimension to the book. I lived in Berkeley years ago; Lisa's skilled storytelling does an admirable job of bringing the town and characters into being through her genuine and joyful flow of words. I recommend this book.

[Joan Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much more than a coming of age story, Shrug puts us in Martha Goldenthal thoughts as she experiences the ordinary trials of growing up in an anything-but-ordinary home in 1960s Berkeley, CA. Emotionally abused by an eccentric, uncaring mother, Martha must also deal with a father subject to rages, even in his own record store, when customers’ taste in classical music differs from his. Martha shares his love of music, though not his dogma, and the reader benefits from their musical knowledge along the way. Shrug is at times disturbing, poignant or humorous, but always insightful, and for me it was a page-turner. I highly recommend this wonderful book.

[Margaret Yelton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa Braver Moss is a new author for me, and her book Shrug was a very different kind of read for me. Martha is one of three children, all growing up in the 1960's. Martha's family life seems to be imploding, growing up in a family with abuse and feeling very fragile where her emotions are concerned. The author is able to draw the readers in, by allowing Martha to tell her story and causing for you to root for her to overcome all the obstacles that she faces. This was a good read, and I would recommend it to others. I received a copy of the book as a gift, and this is my fair and honest review.