One Flight Up

by Rachel Schorr

In a profound exposé of human emotions under pressure, One Flight Up by Rachel Schorr is a novel like few before it, daring to explore real-world interpersonal conflicts with candor and blunt honesty.Set in Israel, where day to day living is often abrasively demanding, this novel traces the emotional odyssey of a young couple, Avi and Tzippy Greenwald, who wish to enlarge their two-bedroom apartment to make life more comfortable for their eight children. According to Israeli law, the consent of all apartment owners is required before anyone undertakes any major building project. The Greenwald's are stunned that the Brecher's, an elderly couple whom they regard as their adopted Bubby and Zaidy, are the only ones in their building who are unalterably opposed to the renovation.Despite great acts of kindness, alternating with cold acts of neglect, nothing changes the Brecher's obdurate resistance to the young family's plea for consent. The neighbors weigh in and the situation escalates into a war of words and ill-will.The Brecher's never disclose the reasons for their strange refusal, even during the waning months of their lives. After her husband's death, Mrs. Brecher entrusts a diary to Tzippy Greenwald. This moving document will eventually become instrumental in changing perceptions, and will be a key to solve much that had previously appeared puzzling and incomprehensible.Subtle, absorbing, and replete with surprises, One Flight Up is more than just "a great read." It's a novel that delivers a story line that leaves the reader guessing until the last chapter.

Genres: Jewish

314 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Kressel Housman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a typical frum novel, which means it has a worthy moral and a fairly compelling storyline, but it’s not told with great mastery. The story is about a machlokes (dispute) amongst the residents of an apartment building in Jerusalem. It begins when an older couple, the Brechers, refuse to sign the papers that would allow the Greenbaums, a couple with eight kids, to expand their apartment. Up until then, the families got along famously, but because of this, the Greenbaums get cold and distant, even though the Brechers are old and sick. Then the neighbors start taking sides. It’s not pretty, but it’s a good moral lesson in the dangers of machlokes and the importance of being dan l’kaf zchus (withholding judgment until you know the facts).

Basically, you can view the book in three parts: 1) the events that give rise to the conflict 2) a diary explaining Mrs. Brecher’s past and 3) the resolution. The flaw with part 1 is that it hints at an unknown connection between the Brechers and the Greenbaums, but it’s not in the least bit subtle. That’s not to say that readers are likely to guess the connection, but it’s nothing like Harry Potter (lehavdil), in which small details become the underpinnings of a terrific plot twist. With this book, there’s just that one single hint which gets underscored over and over. I was hooked because I wanted to know the secret, but I would have preferred more subtlety.

Part 2, the diary, has a different problem. It’s definitely the most moving part of the book, but it simply doesn’t read like someone’s diary. It’s just a continuation of the novel, except in first person.

And then there's the biggest flaw of all: the entire premise. Though I know only too well that arguments bring out the worst in people, I couldn’t help but think that if the characters hadn’t been so secretive, they could have avoided the whole conflict. Of course, if they had, there wouldn't have been a novel.

So all in all, this was a decent enough read for a Shabbos afternoon, but no great work of literature.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminded me of the popular HBO show “Sex in the City” with the four friends, the jet setters and fancy named clothes. It was well written and kept my attention. One Flight Up is a fun summer read. It will definitely show the pros and cons of having an affair and choosing the wrong person to marry! I enjoyed the book and finished it in two lazy summer afternoons.