| View Larger Image | Gravity (Young Adult Novels) | Paperbackby Leanne Lieberman (Author)
| List Price: | $12.95 | | Price: | $10.36 | | You Save: | $2.59 (20%) | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Binding: | Paperback | | Publisher: | Orca Book Publishers | | Page Count: | 240 Pages | | Publication Date: | October 01, 2008 | | Sales Rank: | 355,647th |
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FEATURES | - ISBN13: 9781554690497
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
Ellie Gold is an orthodox Jewish teenager living in Toronto in the late eighties. Ellie has no doubts about her strict religious upbringing until she falls in love with another girl at her grandmother's cottage. Aware that homosexuality clashes with Jewish observance, Ellie feels forced to either alter her sexuality or leave her community. Meanwhile, Ellie's mother, Chana, becomes convinced she has a messianic role to play, and her sister, Neshama, chafes against the restrictions of her faith. Ellie is afraid there is no way to be both gay and Jewish, but her mother and sister offer alternative concepts of God that help Ellie find a place for herself as a queer Jew. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 6 reviews)
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Thoughtful Coming of Age Novel About a Jewish Teen Grappling with Her Sexuality by Rachel Kramer Bussel (New York City)  5 Stars
November 06, 2009
I came across Gravity randomly at my local library and was immediately intrigued. Lieberman places Ellie in her Orthodox Jewish Toronto home, with an older sister impatient to rid herself of the trappings of her religion, a mother going through a spiritual crisis, a father trying to keep a hold on his family and a grandmother who is devil-may-care with her brightly polished nails and disdain for the rigors of Orthodoxy. Ellie spends a summer with her grandmother while the rest of the family is in Israel, and it's there that she discovers, for real, that she is attracted to girls. Namely, Lindsay, a siren whose mom isn't around that much, who tells Ellie that she wants to be a stripper when she grows up.
It's clear to the reader that Lindsay is, in many ways, using Ellie--to feel loved and wanted, to up her experience, but she also has some genuine feelings for Ellie. Unfortunately, they are not as strong as Ellie's, and Ellie is also grappling with her growing concern that the religion she loves may not welcome her. Her efforts to find out what Orthodox Judaism thinks about gay people, and especially lesbians, are rendered extremely well by Lieberman. Ellie feels like she has no one to turn to, though her sister, knowing her so well susses out her secret.
This is a book about both coming out, or rather, coming to terms with one's sexual orientation, and trying to find a role for your newly different self within a familiar, and sometimes close-minded, environment. Ellie has to learn that she has the power to make her own decisions and choices and that there isn't always some authority to tell her what the right thing to do is. This is a moving, thoughtful look at a teen's sexual coming of age as well as religious thought process.
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Gravity by Jewish Book World Magazine (New York, NY)  4 Stars
June 26, 2009
This coming-of-age teen novel by a Canadian first-time author is the unique tale of Ellie Gold, an Orthodox high school student in Toronto in the late 1980's. Ellie is completely happy with her observant lifestyle, until she meets another young woman over the summer at her grandmother's cottage. There is an instant attraction between them Ellie feels forced to choose between her community and her sexuality. At the same time her sister Neshama is plotting to leave the fold, while their mother struggles to find her own place. Ellie is a well-developed character, whereas the others are not as believable and are more stereotypical. She has a close relationship with her non-observant grandmother, who is there to support the two sisters in any way they need her to be. The reader will find the writing style compelling. Some teenage readers may be uncomfortable with the fact that Ellie directly confronts the lust she feels toward this new friend. The topic of teens grappling with feelings of homosexuality within the Orthodox world is an unexplored topic in young adult novels. Recommended reading audience is high school age. Shelly Feit
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Gravity: The Incredible Attraction of a Stellar Novel by Kingham's Kids (Bedford, NY) 5 Stars
May 12, 2009
Gravity, Leanne Lieberman's masterful and remarkable debut novel, tells one of the most profound and powerful tales of coming-of-age and exploring and understanding one's self that I have read. Leanne Lieberman conquers the heavily trodden path of teen self-discovery and sexual orientation and manages to interpret in an unprecedented and creative fashion. Ellie Gold, an orthodox Jew, has never doubted or resented her beliefs, but now, over the summer of her 15th year, she struggles to define and understand herself within the rigid lines of her religion. She encounters wild and liberal Lindsay, whose abandon and flamboyant nature provoke feelings and stirrings that challenge Ellie's perception of her self and cause the great difficulty of dealing with her emerging homosexuality. Ellie is lost, guilty, and unsure about to approach now a religion that tells her that her sexuality is a mistake or childish tendency, even a sin is followed. Ellie must choose between abandoning her perception of God and her beliefs of what is truly right and wrong, or bury and hide the feelings and personality that she cannot deny. The realistic fiction genre is not one of my favorites; however, I felt that Gravity was exceptional. Ellie's attempt to judge and really comprehend her religion is one that I can understand. If God loves everyone, why does he disown the homosexuals or those who don't keep Sabbath or follow strict religious practices?
I thoroughly enjoyed Gravity and hope that all teens, going through a time of self definition, as well as those who are coming out, or confronting a part of themselves that have not, will also. Ellie, Lindsay, and Ellie's diverse and rich family are all highly developed and deep characters, each with their own quirks, yet able to maintain personalities that one can relate to or connect to people in our own lives. Their deep nature adds to the already extensively original and unique plot, concluding in a surprising yet wrenchingly realistic ending. Although the Gravity was admittedly not written very complicatedly, the blatant honesty of Ellie and her childish innocence reversed any detraction from the text. I would encourage people of all ages and religions to begin the splendid journey and mental trek that one will certainly experience upon ordering Gravity. ~~ C.S.H.
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Engaging but not amazing. by anna genoese (brooklyn, nyc, usa) 4 Stars
April 17, 2009
This was a very engaging novel that dealt with several complex issues very well. The writing itself is stellar. I question some of the choices the author made -- particularly in having the main character's family be "born again" Jews -- but the book was no worse for it.
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Courtesy of Teens Read Too by TeensReadToo.com (All Over the US & Canada) 5 Stars
January 31, 2009
This book by Canadian first-time author Leanne Lieberman centers on the coming-of-age of Ellie Gold.
The story begins during the summer vacation: Ellie goes to her grandmother's cottage in the midst of immaculate natural beauty, a place that she has looked forward to returning to since her first visit. This trip ends unexpectedly, as Ellie ends up falling in love with a girl her age, realizing her homosexuality.
However, Ellie has been brought up with strict religious values and traditions, which do not accept homosexuality, and she is forced to choose between shunning her community or denying her true sexuality.
Ultimately, through the multiple conflicts illustrated between tradition and modernity, Lieberman establishes that there is a place for all types of people, including Ellie, in society and religion.
I definitely enjoyed this story. Lieberman sucessfully develops her characters, and does not shy away from the lust commonly experienced by teenagers. And, coupled with the homosexual storyline, this story provides for a very interesting read, and is friendly to those who are not familiar with Judaism, specifically Orthodoxy.
GRAVITY is a good read for any, and despite my initial questions of how Lieberman would create such a challenging story, my concerns were for naught, as the story is an excellent work.
Reviewed by: Andrew S. Cohen
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