Gitel's Freedom

A Novel

By: Iris Mitlin Lav

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Paperback | 25 March 2025

At a Glance

Paperback
312 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.59 x 13.97 x 2.79

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For fans of Georgia Hunter’s We Were the Lucky Ones and Anita Abriel’s The Light After the War comes a historical narrative about the lives of Jewish immigrants in the early twentieth century and one woman’s journey through adversity toward personal freedom.

At an early age, Gitel questions the expected roles of women in society and in Judaism. Born in Belorussia and brought to the US in 1911 as a child, she leads a life constrained by her religious Jewish parents. Forbidden from going to college and pushed into finding a husband, she marries Shmuel, an Orthodox Jewish pharmacist whose left-wing politics she admires. They plan to work together in a neighborhood pharmacy in Chicago—but when the Great Depression hits and their bank closes, their hopes are shattered.

In the years that follow, Shmuel’s questionable decisions, his poor health, and his bad luck plague their marriage and leave them constantly in financial distress. Gitel dreams of going back to school to become a teacher once their one daughter reaches high school, but an unexpected pregnancy quashes that aspiration as well. And when, later, a massive stroke leaves Shmuel disabled, Gitel is challenged to combine caring for him, being the breadwinner at a time when women face salary discrimination, and being present for their second daughter.

Offering an illuminating look at Jewish immigrant life in early-1900s America, Gitel’s Freedom is a compelling tale of women’s resourcefulness and resilience in the face of limiting and often oppressive expectations.

Industry Reviews

“Lav (author of A Wife in Bangkok) paints an intimate picture of Jewish life, smattering the chapters with Yiddish words, rituals, and religious lessons from the Torah that give the narrative both depth and authenticity. There’s also a deep awareness of the historical forces that drive the plot, as the characters’ personal events hold court with the political and economic developments of the time. That all adds up to a myriad of moving parts, but Lav juggles them well, sketching out how each generation processes, and transcends, the problems faced by the previous generation. The progress is incremental, but the results, when they do come, are beautifully rewarding.”—Publishers Weekly

“Lav’s attention to juxtaposing family relationships and transitions with social changes in women’s roles and economics creates a story perfect for book club discussion topics ranging from Jewish heritage, identity, and culture to changing mother/daughter relationships as the decades introduce new challenges to all Americans.”—Midwest Book Review

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