Caroline > Recent Status Updates

Out of audiobook hrs, see y’all in 7 days✌️

Audiobook. Finished maybe 30% then ran out of listening hrs, then came back two weeks later or whatever and listened up to 62%. That was probably a week ago, haven’t listened since (too busy). I like this book even though it’s tedious, if it were a print book I definitely wouldn’t be able to finish it. But that’s what audiobooks are for! Overall 3/5 thus far

Re-reading this fantastic book

This book became much better once she started her own professional religious journey. As a cantor and then a rabbi.

I was getting bored, so I skipped to the chapter on Oct. 7 (88%). Currently crying at work.

Also, re the orthodox conversion: she talks abt it like yeah we put together a beit din and bam! Mikvah. Like nooo that is Not the process. She would have had to be studying for ages, and actually commit to kashrut, tsnius, etc.. walking to shul.. but none of that is mentioned. Maybe she’s written abt the conversion elsewhere? I’m intrigued

She converted orthodox- not because she wanted to be orthodox, but because she wanted the recognition from the rabbinut. Tbh, I understand. I still don’t like the way that she’s been treating orthodoxy and observance

Still feeling disappointed. I understand she’s reform, but I didn’t choose to read her book to hear her bash observant Jews

I started out really liking this book, but the more I get in to it the more I find out it’s very, very reform- to a level that seems to want to invalidate other movements (especially orthodoxy). She has treated orthodox people in her story thus far as if they have affronted her, instead of her recognizing that she was raised in a less observant movement and yes, sometimes things will happen that don’t make sense

Enjoying listening to this on my walks

I’m trying so hard to finish this book but it is so much more about (Christian, Protestant) religion than I remember


Spoiler-

I literally completely forgot about the moonshine plotline. Whatttt the fuck is going on rn!

Restarted again after a hiatus

Listening to the Penguin 2022 audiobook narrated by Marston York

Just started it. Can’t find my kindle. I haven’t read any of the others but this takes place in Rome, Kentucky.. which is a real place? My grandma is from there? I know the Rome, Kentucky that exists in these stories isn’t the one that exists in real life, which includes: tobacco farms, cows, and very few people (all german catholic). I’m just gonna pretend it’s called venice..

2/2
the character is her own person?? why solely identify as her mother’s daughter, did she have nothing else… her job? passions? husband?! that one relationship that exists outside of her mother and now you throw it aside??? i am so in disbelief

“I no longer belong to my mother. I do not belong to my father… I do not belong to my husband, whom I’ve told I may no longer want to be my husband at all… I do not know how to find my center without [my mother]… I was Carol Silver’s daughter. Now I am simply a stranger.” 1/2

hm the main character sucks

she and her mom are SO codependent

the author isn’t married and I think that shows in the novel. wdym the character’s mom was like “are you ready for this?” (re marriage) when they had been together for three years! and were 25!! like yes they are young (ish) but it’s literally not crazy

Currently, the characters are having a discussion about manuscripts and the syriac language, which they claim is the language Jesus spoke. But I looked it up (knowing that Jesus spoke Aramaic) and it seems that Syriac is a dialect of Aramaic that Jesus would in fact not have spoken. I wonder if this is meant to be an antiquarian falsity? Dara Horn is generally rather precise in her research🤔

Sooo good!! The author’s writing style is engaging and explorative. I’ve run out of audiobook hours (boo spotify) but will pick it back up as soon as I can🫡