On the edge of the Black Forest in a small village...
Rachel Cohen is brilliant and wise. Her twin brother, Yakov? Not so much.
When the Cohen family begins to crack –and their village teeters on the brink – it is up to Rachel and the secretive Council of Wise Women to step in. How much meddling is too much?
THE COUNCIL OF WISE WOMEN is a spellbinding multigenerational story of family and friends, of love, loss, independence, reconciliation, and the power of women.
Whether or not you’re Jewish, you’ll enjoy this novel. It’s like rye bread, chicken soup, or hot apple pie – tasty and delicious, possibly nutritious but certainly warm and satisfying.
With his trademark sense of humor, Izzy Abrahmson spins a delightful tale of The Village Life that will make you smile, and maybe shed a tear.
You won’t want this book to end.
The story starts with Sarah, but it quickly becomes apparent that Rachel is a prodigy, and Abrahmson often examines the unique cultural aspects of the women in Chelm through Rachel’s experiences. At seven, she teaches herself Hebrew, Yiddish, English, and German, all while gently caring for the ailing widow Oma Levitsky, whose magical chicken soup is said to cure all ills. Those snapshots give the story a folksy feel and a delicate humor that entertains, as when Oma’s soup cures a sick group in a nearby town, sparking a famine of sorts and forcing Chelm residents to eat endless cabbage, with predictably gassy results.
Abrahmson (The Village Feasts) maintains that playful touch throughout, painting characters who leap off the page. Chelm’s wise women are delightful and perceptive, their conversations a joy to read, whether they’re toiling over the latest relationship problems or debating whether girls in the village should be formally educated (“We women [are] able to cherish our subtle knowledge passed through words and whispers and gentle guidance” one woman observes). Abrahmson douses the story with welcome tension at times, and his sparkling prose and enviable world-building make this a beautiful testament to tradition and values.
Takeaway: Charming testament to Jewish traditions and the power of women.
Comparable Titles: Sydney Taylor’s All-of-a-Kind Family series, Rachel Kadish’s The Weight of Ink.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: NA
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
If you’re looking for a warm and cozy read that can also make you laugh out loud and brighten your mood, look no further than The Council of Wise Women. The little town of Chelm, where the novel takes place, calls to mind the village of Anatevka from Fiddler on the Roof. Izzy Abrahmson employs the same inviting tone and slightly absurd cadence of the beloved musical. Although the novel is steeped in Jewish history and heritage, the humor is universal and can be enjoyed by readers from all cultures. Between the pages of Abrahmson's latest book can be found an unforgettable cast of characters and a story that hits on both their hearts and funny bones.
The town of Chelm and its people, the Chelmener, are so vivid and three-dimensional that it’s no wonder The Council of Wise Women is the latest of a series centered on this little Eastern European Jewish village. Not to worry, though. While reading the other books set in this world may enhance the reading experience, this most recent Abrahmson novel can be enjoyed as a standalone. The Council of Wise Women follows one Chelmener family, the Cohens, from the birth of their twins, Yakov and Rachel, until their thirteenth birthday. Benjamin, the village tailor, and his wife, Sarah, navigate as best they can the trials of marriage, gender expectations, and the challenge of parenting two unique children, one of whom is a once-in-a-generation prodigy.
While the Cohens’ story is touching, the Chelmener and their antics steal the show. From the secret underground council of elder women for which the novel is named, to the annual kvetching (complaining) competition, to little old ladies with the power of invisibility, The Council of Wise Women will have the reader in stitches from beginning to end. Abrahmson has a marvelous ability to touch on unspoken truths and push them several steps farther into the realm of the ridiculous, sparing readers the emotional roller coaster that usually is part and parcel of literary fiction. If you love cozy settings and absurdism in your literature, you can’t go wrong with The Council of Wise Women.
