Addie Baum has been asked by her granddaughter to relay her life story, and, as this is her favorite granddaughter (Shhh! It’s their secret!), she of course complies. She begins her tale with the story of her own parents as they immigrate from Russia, bringing with them trauma that continues to hangs over them and their children. In searching for an outlet from this stressful home life, Addie finds her way to the Saturday Club, a weekly gathering of young girls of varying backgrounds and cultures. When they head out for a weeklong escape to Rockport, MA, Addie sneaks out of her home to join them, and forms friendships that last her lifetime.
What I love most about this tender and heartfelt story is the voice through which it is told. Between the expressions and the phrasing, I can literally hear my own Jewish grandmothers speaking the words written here. The way Addie expresses her love for her granddaughter, the way she excuses herself when she feels she’s behaved, perhaps, unexpectedly, or when she speaks of something she feels guilt for – it all rings so sweetly familiar.
But it’s also a common, generalizable, second generation experience. Addie feels a constant tension between respecting and seeking the approval from her mother, in particular, and needing to reach outside the family for love, guidance, and a way to find her true self. She carries her mother’s trauma because her mother can’t let it go and she simultaneously cannot live with it because it is toxic. Fortunately for Addie, she does find both mentors and friends who she can rely on for safety, advice, and sheer reason, and she learns to navigate through life, utilizing these connections to help herself and to help others.
It’s a truly lovely story. Highly recommend this one!
kindread spirits 