PLACES WE LEFT BEHIND
When Jennifer Lang meets a handsome Israeli from a French background which she describes in PLACES WE LEFT BEHIND: A MEMOIR IN MINIATURE, she is not sure what she’s gotten into, but almost immediately she is in an intense relationship. Although both are Jewish, Jennifer coming from a West Coast California family is not sure what sort of Judaism he practices, but it seems worlds away from what she understands about her own version of their religion. Of course, they wed, and as the couple bounce back and forth from one country to another, each trying to placate the other, it seems that culture and location are often the subjects of their marital conflicts. Adding children and political conflicts into the mix only adds to the author’s confusion, depression and sense of not belonging anywhere. Eventually she finds yoga which assuages her loneliness and gives her a sense of belonging within herself.
The book is composed of short vignettes. Many of which I had wished were longer, such as when her son joined the IDF, which I imagine generated considerable anxiety along with a myriad of other feelings.
For anyone contemplating marrying someone from a different culture, this book gives an interesting picture of what is involved, both physically and emotionally.