To make matters worse, in their community not being a virgin upon marriage is highly shameful.
As she begins to discover the secrets of her community we see and feel her shock and horror that anyone (especially a family member) could do something so horrible to a young girl. In a way this makes the book start out slowly, but I feel it is representative of Gittel’s naivete about what was happening in the world around her. This author did an excellent job at hiding what was really happened to her friend Devory when they were younger.
In a way this makes, Hush closer to a memoir than a book of fiction. To read more about Judy’s recent (2011) “coming out” about her story click here. She wrote this story based on actual events she witnessed in her community and was told to keep quiet about (just as Gittel is told in Hush). The author, Eishes Chayil, is a psyudonym for Judy Brown. Gittel is forced to question her entire way of life and whether she really believes she can keep her secret. When she tries to bring her discovery to the adults in charge of the community she is told to keep quiet and act as if nothing happened. As the pieces of the puzzle regarding Devory’s death come together, Gittel is appaled. Now she can’t help but wonder who Devory would be marrying. She has not gotten over the death of her best friend, Devory, when they were nine. The main character is 13 year-old Gittel who is preparing for her marriage. The book takes place in a Hasidic Jewish community in Brooklyn, New York. When young Gittel learns her best friend’s deepest secret, her entire world begins to unravel around her. Realistic Fiction, Bildungsroman, Jewish Literature
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