Rina Kirsch, a young Modern Orthodox Jewish mother, is exhausted. She does her best to honor the traditions of her faith and takes on the huge responsibilities and labor of maintaining a proper Jewish home. She is a dutiful wife and a loving mother who loves her community. However, she is an atheist and feels stuck. If readers find this shocking, there is more. Her husband's idea of spicing their marriage up is for them to participate in an Orthodox Jewish wife swap. It takes some convincing, but she finally agrees. As for the results, her husband would have been better off buying flowers and candy. The swap did anything and everything but save their marriage. His next attempt placed her in art class which led to a torrid affair with Will, her married teacher. OLIVE DAYS, a novel by Jessica Elisheva Emerson, is the story of what followed.
Skillfully told, OLIVE DAYS, is a story of unbridled passion, lust and introspection. Rina is a conflicted woman who deals with so many "what if?" questions. And even more, she must decide what she is willing to give up to be with the man who she believes really sees who she is. As for Will, he is a complicated man, but one thing is certain. He is in the relationship for the long haul.
OLIVE DAYS is an intense and profound story that combines religion, tradition and lust. It is immersive because there is no clear path to what is ahead for Rina and Will and readers are kept guessing right up until the conclusion.
I found OLIVE DAYS to be unique and memorable. Thought-provoking and deep, OLIVE DAYS is a fascinating story.
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