And the Bride Closed the Door

"With seductive wit and light pathos, this brilliant novel makes the reader privy to the inner thoughts of a comically messy family. From there, bigger truths about personal life and the wider culture are exposed and explored."
--Bethany Ball, author of What to Do About the Solomons

A young bride shuts herself up in a bedroom on her wedding day, refusing to get married. In this moving and humorous look at contemporary Israel, her family gathers outside the locked door, not knowing what to do. The bride's mother has lost a younger daughter in unclear circumstances. Her grandmother is hard of hearing, yet seems to understand her better than anyone. A male cousin who likes to wear women's clothes and jewelry clings to his grandmother like a little boy. And then there is the despairing groom, Matti, trying to decipher his beloved's last-minute refusal. The family tries an array of unusual tactics to ensure the wedding goes ahead, including a psychologist specializing in brides who change their mind and a ladder truck from the Palestinian Authority electrical company. The only communication they receive from behind the door are scribbled notes, one of them a cryptic poem about a prodigal daughter returning home. The harder they try to reach the defiant woman, the more Matti empathizes with her, and the more convinced he is that her refusal should be respected. But what, exactly, ought to be respected? Is this merely a case of cold feet? A feminist statement? A mourning ritual for a lost sister? This provocative and highly entertaining novel lingers long after its final page.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: New Vessel Press
Published: 10/01/2019
ISBN: 9781939931757
Pages: 128
Weight: 0.35lbs
Size: 7.90h x 5.20w x 0.50d

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2019