This doesn't really deserve a summary, but here it is. Five generations of women endure a curse that leads to their husbands abandoning them around the time they give birth to their first child. From this premise, one can probably envision the book oneself - a typical chick lit saga of mothers and daughters, each with her own tale.

Apparently, Israel is not immune to the tired marketing strategy of appealing to middle-aged women with the claim that they'll love to read it in their book clubs and uncritically overlook all the amateurish writing flaws because it's an empowerment story of a Sisterhood of Strong Women Who Don't Need Men.

The Red Tent, The Secret Life of Bees, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Women of the Silk, and numerous other books all share the trademarks of this one. Firstly, there are men who are at best ineffective and superfluous, and at worst, boorish and abusive. Secondly, women discover that all their needs, sometimes even sexual ones, can be better satisfied by other women. Then there are clichés, more clichés, one-dimensional characters, predictable plot twists (at least those that make sense), pathetic attempts at poetic writing that often result in bizarre oxymorons, frequent references to bodily fluids and/or smells, and an exotic setting seemingly to compensate for all the above.

Am I betraying the sisterhood of women when I say that I actually like men? That I've found they can be strong (in a good way), intelligent, and interesting? That women can also be jerks? That I prefer reading about three-dimensional characters, both male and female, with their own strengths and weaknesses?

I've also decided I don't like magic realism. I really don't. I find it difficult enough to understand the world I live in without adding a whole bunch of new and unpredictable rules of nature that suit the author's fancy.

The icing on the cake for me is this strange version of Judaism. Has Shifra Horn ever been to a mikvah? Has she ever met a religious person?

There's an old joke: What's the closest religion you'll find to Orthodox Judaism? The new response could be: Orthodox Jews as depicted in literature.

On second thought, maybe not. Either way, it's no surprise that Naomi Ragen endorsed this book.

And one final complaint - the book actually describes the stories of five mothers, not four, but I guess four was more poetically symbolic. That about sums it up, doesn't it?

Apparently, this book won many Israeli literary prizes. Score one more for the quality of Israeli literature.

I am truly not certain about what I felt regarding this book.

To be honest, I don't think I can even assign a rating to it.

For some reason, I found it a bit confusing as I tried to keep track of all the characters.

There were so many of them, and it was difficult to remember who was who and their relationships.

I'm not sure if I would be inclined to read this author again.

Maybe it was just this particular book that didn't click with me, or perhaps there was something about the author's writing style that didn't suit my taste.

Either way, I'll have to think about it before deciding whether to give this author another chance.

"Quattro madri" is a beautiful epic family novel that spans almost a century of Israel's history.

It features remarkable women who never lose heart, are constantly able to reinvent themselves, and rise again after every fall.

This book is rich in personalities and female strength. The writing is vivid and enjoyable.

The prominent female figure is Sarah, a woman of exceptional beauty and great wisdom.

Around her, all the other female characters, as well as the Jewish rites and customs, revolve.

It offers a captivating look into the lives and struggles of these women, showing their determination and resilience in the face of various challenges.

The story not only showcases the individual growth of the characters but also provides insights into the cultural and historical context of Israel during that time.

Overall, "Quattro madri" is a must-read for those interested in family sagas, female empowerment, and the history of Israel.

Letto in modalità sandra&raimondo: che noia che barba che barba che noia.

This simple phrase seems to express a sense of boredom and perhaps a bit of frustration.

It could be that Sandra and Raimondo are in a situation where they are feeling uninterested or restless.

The repetition of "che barba" might imply that they are particularly annoyed by something.

Maybe they are stuck in a routine or dealing with a mundane task.

It's also possible that they are simply in a bad mood.

Regardless of the reason, their words convey a feeling of dissatisfaction.

Perhaps they need to find something new and exciting to do to break out of their boredom.

Or maybe they just need to take a break and relax.

Either way, it's important to listen to their feelings and try to understand what they are going through.

By doing so, we can offer support and help them find a way to improve their mood.

I truly don't know where to begin this review.

I had such high expectations for this book. A book that tells the story of a family over four generations? With a hint of magical realism? That's right up my alley.

So you can imagine my disappointment when I finished this novel.

It started off well. Very well. We were introduced to Amal, who summarized (sort of) the story of her family for us and presented us with a mystery: who is her father? Why is her family hiding his identity? She also told us about a curse that, according to Great-Grandma Sarah, plagues the family.

Cool, right?

Well, I have to admit that the first quarter was quite okay, but the rest was rather dull. It's as if, at some point, the author completely forgot parts of the plot. For example, the curse! Why does Sarah think they are victims of it? When did this idea come into her head? And, more importantly, why does the birth of Amal's son break it? There's no real reason to believe that, and there's no common thread between the stories of Mazal, Sarah, Pnina Mazal, Gheula, and Amal.

Another thing that made me cringe was the explanation of Pnina Mazal's obsession with cats: "She likes them." I mean, I like cats too, but I would never live with hundreds of them or let them give birth on my disabled brother's giant stomach (speaking of which: we get it, he's fat. How many times do you need to repeat that?).

Should we talk about the passing years? In the space of two paragraphs, thirty minutes, five months, or six years can pass equally (for instance, Pnina Mazal and David's love story: they get married and suddenly they have been trying for a child for six years; and then again he's dead and she's eight months pregnant... okay?).

And I could go on like this as much as you like, but it's pointless. The only thing I really liked (and that justifies the two stars instead of one) is Sarah and Edward's relationship.

What a pity.

P.s. This was my first Shifra Horn book; I think I'll give at least another one of hers a chance because reading other disappointed reviews makes me think she has something to offer. Also, I read the book in Italian, so perhaps some of the nuances were lost in the adaptation.

This experience was truly weird, but unfortunately, it wasn't the kind of weird that one would consider good.

I found myself in a situation that was completely out of the ordinary, and yet, it failed to bring any sense of enjoyment or excitement.

The strangeness of it all left me feeling rather perplexed and dissatisfied.

It was as if something was off, and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't seem to find the silver lining or the redeeming qualities in this particular weirdness.

Perhaps it was the unexpected nature of it, or maybe it was the way it made me feel.

Either way, it was an experience that I would not soon forget, but not in a positive way.

I can only hope that future encounters with the strange and unusual will be more to my liking and bring with them a sense of wonder and delight rather than this feeling of unease and disappointment.

The central story of Sarah and several scenes in the story were touching: The binding of Isaac brought tears to my eyes, the death of Gaula (the first). There were also many setbacks and repetitions in the plot for me. We heard too much about the Hivites, shaking breasts, and so on. I didn't entirely agree with K's criticism. The female characters are not hateful to men, the men are important in the story but the women are independent.

In this story, Sarah's character is complex and multi-faceted. She shows both strength and vulnerability. The scene of the binding of Isaac is a powerful moment that elicits strong emotions.

While there are some elements in the story that I found less appealing, such as the excessive mention of certain details, overall, I still think the story has its merits.

The portrayal of the relationship between men and women is an interesting aspect. The women are not simply subordinate to the men but have their own thoughts and actions.

In conclusion, although I have some reservations about certain parts of the story, I can still appreciate its overall significance and the emotions it evokes.

A Tale of Four Generations of Women in a Jerusalemite Family

The story is told from the perspective of Amal, who received from her great-grandmother a heritage of photographs taken by her great-grandmother's lover, Edward. Amal, also known as Amalia, follows the photographs to explore her past and learn about the women in her family, with the central motivation of finding out who her father was.

The story focuses on Amal's great-grandmother Sara, who was considered the most beautiful woman in Jerusalem. Sara's life begins with her marriage to Abraham and the birth of Isaac, who grows up to be autistic or have a mental disability, it's not clear from the story. Abraham and Sara, along with Isaac, leave Jerusalem to take care of Abraham's father abroad. When they arrive at his parents' house, Abraham's mother takes a liking to Sara and Abraham distances himself from her bed. After several years and the birth of their wonderful daughter, Penina Mazal, Sara decides to return to Jerusalem with the children and without Abraham, who decides to stay with his parents. This is where the real story begins.

Sara meets the American photographer Edward on the train. They fall in love and their love lasts a lifetime. After Sara returns to Jerusalem, she gives birth to a child for Edward, takes care of her family, and pines for Edward, who disappears. When he briefly returns, he is shocked by Sara's situation and disappears again from her life. Sara gathers her strength and focuses on the blooming of her daughter Penina Mazal's talents and the care of Isaac, who shows no signs of coming out of the emotional isolation he is in.

After a while, Edward returns to Sara's life and从此不再离开她. The children grow up. Penina Mazal marries a young man who goes to war and is killed. After 6 years of marriage, when he goes to war, she becomes pregnant and gives birth to Gaula. Penina Mazal is a career woman and so she leaves Gaula with an Arab wet nurse. Gaula becomes attached to the wet nurse and her son Mohammed in bonds of tenderness and love. The bond between her and Mohammed will accompany Gaula throughout her life. During this time, Penina Mazal's friend, Davida, falls in love with Isaac, marries him and gives birth to Abraham. After the birth, Davida divorces Isaac and leaves the country with an English soldier.

Gaula grows up to be a radical with extreme views on equality and justice. She gives birth to Amal by an unknown father and becomes a lawyer representing minorities.

In the summary I read and also in the synopsis of the book on Shifra Horn's website, I noticed that they state that the place of the men is missing. I think this is a perceptual error that causes a distortion in perception during reading; it is correct to say that these are independent women who in their daily lives act without a man by their side. However, the spirit and image of the men runs through every line of the book's plot. Starting from Edward's deep love for Sara and ending with the depth of the bond between Mohammed and Gaula.

The men have a central role in the development of the plot and in the growth of the women and they are very present in moments of crisis. My problem with the book is the author's perhaps conscious decision to open the story of the four women in the family. The secondary plots are good and add depth to the book but they are not enough on their own and they do not provide answers to the central questions in Amal's life, with whose story the book begins. Amal's motivation to find her father does not come out in her story and at the end of the book the reader has no idea who her father is. Also, the story about the young men remains in the realm of hearsay and is not proven so that neither the reader nor the narrator character receive the answers to the questions that initially set the plot in motion.

In addition, no character in the book is as developed as the character of Sara, who in my opinion is the most complete character in the book. Her story is moving and provides meaningful moments of pleasure in the story. She is the central axis of the story and all the other characters and their stories are in my opinion marginal notes to the central story which is hers.

The book is full of Jerusalemite delicacies in love and emotions. And as I wrote, there are moments of pleasure in Sara's story. It's a pity that in the last part of the book, the story loses its focus with Amal's story and Gaula's story which actually doesn't add anything new to what has already been told in the previous chapters of the book. I felt that the author didn't know how to end the book and this really spoiled my enjoyment.

Four women born and raised in Jerusalem, the Holy City, at the end of the 1800s and the beginning of the 1900s, first under the occupation of the Ottoman army and later with the arrival of the English. It is a colorful and in-depth portrait of the destiny of these women, intertwined with culture and seasoned with a touch of magical realism. The book begins with the youngest of these women who tries every possible way to know the identity of her biological father, about whom no one seems to know anything. So, backwards, she first tells us about her great-grandmother, Mazel, the matriarch, an orphan, who carries with her a curse. Subsequently, we will get to know her daughter, Sarah, of extraordinary beauty and with great powers, her granddaughters Pnina Mazel and Gheula, the latter a combative, revolutionary woman, who will break the patterns of decades. An absolutely original book with excellent writing. It has been a beautiful gift, a beautiful reading, in every sense! Thank you!

No, we don't need to add yet another description of a woman's breasts and her stunning beauty, with blonde hair, blue eyes and firm buttocks.

The continuous reference to bodily fluids, after a while, makes one feel nauseous.

The umpteenth cliché of strong and independent women who depict men as good for nothing, frivolous, superficial and unfaithful (when it is quite evident that it is Sarah's morality that should be inspected). Too much sex, too much food, too much of everything.

Written in a fluent manner, it can be finished in a few days (allowing for commitments), but it leaves you indifferent. When I finished the last line, I thought: so what? Who the father of Amal is is quite predictable.

Meraviglioso!

It is truly wonderful! There are stories of strong, sensitive, and tenacious women who do not give up and do not let themselves be bent by their destiny.

Amidst magical realism and folklore, "Four Mothers" has conquered me with its writing, but above all, with its protagonists!

The characters in this work are so vivid and real that they seem to jump out of the pages. Each mother has her own unique personality and story, yet they all share a common strength and determination.

The author's use of magical realism adds an extra layer of charm and mystery to the tales, making them even more engaging and captivating.

Overall, "Four Mothers" is a must-read for anyone who loves stories about strong women and the power of perseverance in the face of adversity. It is a book that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.

For lovers of the genre "Poor but intelligent girls, without formal education, live improbable lives. Menarche, deflowerings, rapes, and incests." Practically a chapter of My Brilliant Friend in Jerusalem.

Read because of insomnia. This simple statement seems to open a door to a world full of drama and complexity. The description of the girls' lives is both tragic and captivating. Without formal education, they face numerous challenges and obstacles in their daily lives. The mention of menarche, deflowerings, rapes, and incests adds a layer of darkness and taboo to their stories. It makes one wonder how these girls manage to survive and find meaning in such difficult circumstances. Reading this due to insomnia might suggest that the person is seeking an escape from their own reality or perhaps is intrigued by the themes presented. It could also be a way to pass the time during those sleepless nights. In any case, it leaves the reader with a sense of curiosity and a desire to know more about these girls and their improbable lives.