A great and unique story -- you don't often find a novel about Russian Jewish immigrant lesbian women (with some magical realism thrown in). The shifts in point of view felt awkward and confusing at times and it felt at times like the author tried to throw too many historical facts into the book (Triangle Shirtwaist, mention of the Bintel Briefs, Lillian Wald, etc.). However, as the descendant of Russian/Eastern European Jews who likely experienced many of the same events and difficulties the characters in this book experience (pogroms, crossing the Atlantic by ship, living in tenements, etc.) I found this book fascinating. I felt like I was visiting the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in NYC (in a good way). As I did when I visited the museum, I found myself thinking about the characters and trying to imagine my ancestors in their place. This book won a Lambda Literary Award and while the story is told from the point of view of two gay women, it is as much a book about women -- Russian Jewish, Italian, and other female immigrants -- as a "lesbian story." Intertwined with the story is the story of women living in a time before they could vote and way before any sex discrimination or equal pay laws protected them in the workplace. It wasn't until about 200 pages into the book that the lesbian aspect of the story was fully developed. I would be interested in learning how much of this part of the book is accurate historically -- I imagine much of it is and I would like to read more about it. As for the lesbian aspect of the book, Chava and Rose's relationship is realistic -- the love between them is palpable, as is the pain they sometimes feel because of having to hide their relationship. Gutke and Dovid(a)'s relationship also feels very real, although the reader does not get to know them as well. It makes me sad to think about how Gutke and Dovida could marry only because Dovida presents to the outside world as a man -- gay marriage was not something that would have even crossed the minds of lesbian couples at that time.I enjoyed (maybe "enjoy" is not the right verb here but oh well) learning about the dynamics of the labor union movement and how it often excluded women, African Americans, and immigrants. Anyone interested in the obstacles any of these groups (particularly female immigrants) faced in the early part of the 20th century would enjoy reading this book. My review feels all over the place but perhaps that is because there is just so much in this book that it is difficult to summarize. I could go on and on but instead I'll say, just read it!
4 1/2 StarsThis is an intense and often painful book to read, although it's full of humanity, deep insight, and heart. It's really more of a saga as it goes through 2 generations of Russian Jews from late 1800's to almost the 1920's. It starts out with Gutke delivering Chava. Gutke is by then in her 40's and the first half of the book is about her life growing up as she reflects on it up to that moment. The second part of the book is about Chava, a Rabbi's daughter, and her life from the point of childhood. Due to the changing political atmosphere in Russia in which Jews were being persecuted and murdered and forced to constantly move, both women, although not together, eventually make their way to America.After we get Chava's story, the book jumps back and forth until both women eventually, by accident, meet in NYC. It's a book about the hardship of Jewish life and life of immigrants of the early 1900's. It's also about how women were fighting for more rights and better workplace treatment. It's very detailed and clearly the author did a lot of research. Although both women are lesbians, I did find it interesting that it was not the focus. Or at least from their inner standpoint, as both are narrators of their feelings about their lives, they do not stress about or constantly wonder about their attractions to women. It's very subtle in how it's presented. On the other hand it did show how women could get on in that way and manage. Gutke's partner dresses and a goes through life as a man and he is treated as such by society and people around them who knew seemed to not be too bothered. It’s not really any kind of love story as the focus, although love relationships are part of it. As far at the narration goes, I was a bit jarred by the author's voice. She narrates her own book and it was read in an almost perfunctory, dry way, which I had a hard time with at first. But then I got used to it and started to feel these characters in the author's voice. The only confusing thing is that she didn't change the voice for each character. But that wasn't that big of a deal.Definitely a book I would recommend people read. Especially if you have any interest in actual historical events and how it pertained to Jewish history.
What do You think about Beyond The Pale (2003)?
This epic saga is about so many things that it’s hard to know how to describe it succinctly. The story begins in Russia during the pogroms of the late 1800’s where we meet two of the central characters, Cheye and Gutke. They travel to America in pursuit of safety and prosperity, but encounter more anti Semitism and the poverty that came from the exploitation of immigrant workers, or “greenhorns” as they are called by the Lower East Side factories.I think what I loved about this novel is is how diverse the subject matter is. Some the social issues that the book explores include child-labor, feminism, the labor movements of the early 20th century and the women’s suffrage movement. Although it revolves around a lesbian relationship, the issue of homosexuality, although interesting, to call this a book about lesbian love would be to miss the point of this wonderful story.
—Bxrlover
I feel honored to have read Beyond the Pale. It was rich, engrossing, painful, powerful, and gorgeous.“Like so many of the bits of conversation I recall, the meanings hidden in childhood only become clear now that I write them down. Most were just small lessons, people trying to prove their virtue to each other, but because I wasn't supposed to be listening, I made things out to be more important than they were. Maybe that's why our childhoods seem so big, so resonant, while our adult years slip by like fish in the river Byk.” This book is an out-and-out tour de force. There's no way that I can recommend it highly enough.
—Jennifer
Who would have thought this would end up being a beautiful, interesting and spectacularly written historical fiction novel about early factory life in the United States? I feel this book is somewhat hurt by being pushed into the LGBT category--I expected cheesy romance, lighthearted relationships, chapters and chapters of "who I am?" and identity-realization, ridiculous "girl power" messages and a bland and unimportant setting. Instead Beyond the Pale can hold its own against any historical lit piece and is accessible to straight and gay alike. My expectations of what a "lesbian novel" would involve were completely blown away. The relationships in the book were deep and touching, the characters were real and the hopeless-seeming struggles against society for just basic rights and a few moments of freedom from drudgery made change seem possible, if not imminent. Beautiful book, great writing, excellent story.
—Al
