Day After Night by Anita Diamant

People should do what they do well. And Diamant proved herself capable, with The Red Tent, of being able to move a story line along while taking the viewpoints of four different women.

And she did it again, well, with Day After Night, a novel set in post WWII. The main characters are Jewish women who have escaped (in different ways) the concentration camps. And now find themselves in a British compound while governments figure out where they should go. But it's also about mourning, and hope, and healing, and grief. And friendship and secrets. My favorite things are:

1. Diamant never, not once, plays into the "women are so catty/fickle/backstabbing" stereotype. Please, that would insult her. Diamant's women have deep and meaningful women friendships that get them through.

2. There's this beautiful and artistic scene at the end with Zorah, one of the characters. All about how Zorah can finally taste her food. Meaningful to me because I remember grief so deep of my own that the color left the world, food lost its taste, and flowers lost their smells. But I also remember tasting food for the first time, smelling smells that had been absent, and seeing color again . . . part of my healing. So I had one of those moments where this author I do know now and will never meet plucked at the heartstrings of my heart and put it in this character.

3. I knew nothing about the topic. And now I know more.

It's a savoring book. Not a beach book with lemonade. More like a good winter break book where you can find a deep couch and a solid quilt and read late into the night when everyone else is asleep.

Some sensuality. Little language, some violence. But nothing to put it on a "no" list for me.

Find a copy and let me know what you think. Sarah, this might interest you because you like to read about Jewish heroines, and Melody, because you will appreciate the character development. Mel, didn't you say you like Poisonwood Bible? Or was that someone else? I couldn't get through PB, too dark for me . . . but this takes dark themes and lets the light shine through.