In this new and foreign world, men pray daily, thanking God they're not women; parties are extravagant events at the Museum of Natural History; and the Marriage Box is a real place, a pool deck designated for teenage girls to put themselves on display for potential husbands. Casey is at first appalled by this unfamiliar culture, but after she meets Michael, she's enticed by it. Looking for love and a place to belong, she marries him at eighteen, believing she can adjust to Syrian ways. But she begins to question her decision when she discovers that Michael doesn't want her to go to college--he wants her to have a baby instead.
Can Casey integrate these two opposing worlds, or will she have to leave one behind in order to find her way?
This title will be released on May 2, 2023.
Goodreads | Amazon
Rating: 4 Stars
My Review: This was a wonderful story to follow about the Syrian Jewish community and culture. I loved the humor and care that the author took when writing this. This was a fantastic coming of age story that I could not turn pages fast enough but I didn't want it to end.
Review
—Jacqueline Friedland, USA Today best-selling author of He Gets That From Me
“The Marriage Box is a brilliant coming of age story that moves swiftly between the worlds of New Orleans and the Syrian Jewish community in NY. Our heroine, Casey, is flawed, kind and so vivid. We fall in love with her as she grapples to balance her need for independence with the comforts and constraints of tradition. I can’t remember when I last enjoyed a story so much: I laughed, I cried, I learnt, and couldn’t wait to turn the page to find out what Casey was going to do next. The Marriage Box is an absolute delight!”
—Ariana Neumann, New York Times best-selling author of When Time Stopped and National Jewish Book Award and Dayton Literary Peace Prize winner
“This book was real and authentic, giving the reader a stunning storyline and a unique cast of characters. There is so much growth and change within this story and it is so well written…I would highly recommend this book to anyone.”
—Readers Favorite, 5 STARS
“Corie Adjmi’s fabulous novel The Marriage Boxis an unputdownable tale of Old World traditions-meets-New World desires. Adjmi doesn’t hold back in this coming-of-age tale of a young woman who loses herself early on, shaped by a destructive past. The writing is rich, immersive, and seamless. You will root for Casey as she forges her own way in a patriarchal world. A must-read.”
—Lisa Barr, award-winning author of Woman on Fire, The Unbreakables, and Fugitive Colors
“Adjmi has written a fascinating story of culture and custom and the choices that go along with it. Compelling and compulsively readable; I found myself rooting for Casey Cohen as I flipped through the pages, finishing in one single sitting. A must-read.”
—Rochelle Weinstein, USA Today best-selling author of This Is Not How It Ends, Somebody's Daughter, Where We Fall, The Mourning After, and What We Leave Behind
“I couldn't put The Marriage Box down. Alternately funny and heart-wrenching, but always deftly observed, this is a fast-paced coming of age story that will stick with you.”
—Jen Spyra, author of Big Time and former staff writer for CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
“Corie Adjmi’s captivating novel The Marriage Box develops Casey’s conflicted emotions with finesse, contrasting the allure of 1980s music, fashion, and television with the strict rituals of Sephardic Orthodox Judaism… From the spicy scent of cumin to the gleam of gold bracelets and silver Shabbat candlesticks, The Marriage Box recreates a defiant young woman’s vibrant and insular world.”
—Foreword Reviews
“A nuanced look at one woman’s conflicted desire to break free from a regimented life.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Past Praise for the author's Life and Other Shortcomings:
2021 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award: Finalist in Cover Design: Small Format, Fiction
2020 American Fiction Awards: Winner in Short Story
2020 Best Book Awards Finalist
Included in 2020's Best Beach Reads by Parade
“Featuring 12 stories about women in various cities and eras, each share a connection to one another. And you're along for the journey as they reveal certain truths about the female experience. It's an anthem, and also a cry for a change.”
—Parade, “20 Classic and New Books About Feminism”
“A compelling collection that captures the mystery and menace beneath love and family life.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“I'm in love with this book. It is just so good. It's real and definitely something that makes you feel like you've been heard and you have a friend.“
—Ann Garvin, Founder of Tall Poppy Writers and USA Today best-selling author of I Thought You Said This Would Work, I Like You Just Fine When You're Not Around, The Dog Year, and On Maggie's Watch
“Corie Adjmi has a flair for dramatizing scenes. She homes in on the killer moment, and her dialogue is so honest that I was cringing at times . . . It is just so vivid. ”
—Susan Breen, author of The Fiction Class
“Corie Adjmi’s stories are sharply written, unsparing, and spot-on. With wisdom and humanity, Life and Other Shortcomings plumbs the mysteries of adult life: the menacing underside of love, the protean nature of grief, and the baffling difficulty of staying true to ourselves and the things we value most. Assured in her storytelling, Adjmi writes with force and perception. Her stories are a must-read.”
—Elyssa Friedland, author of The Floating Feldmans and The Intermission and Love and Miss Communication
“Pitch perfect and very haunting, Life and Other Shortcomings is a true delight. Adjmi’s interlocking stories are as funny as they are tragic. Her characters are so real and relatable, you’ll find yourself rooting for them, even as they get into trouble. Adjmi is a great new talent.”
—Alison Espach, author of The Adults
“All that glitters is not gold in Corie Adjmi’s wonderful short story collection Life and Other Shortcomings. Adjmi exposes the fear, envy, and yearning that simmer just beneath the surface of her characters’ beautiful lives. Her writing is both elegant and powerful. I was hooked from the first page to the last.”
—Ellen Sussman, New York Times best-selling author of four novels, A Wedding in Provence, The Paradise Guest House, French Lessons and On a Night Like This
“Among the women of these stories are dutiful housewives, devoutly religious women, insecure teenagers, and many other colorful characters. Pop culture references peppered throughout - including nostalgic callbacks to Dr.Scholl's sandals, Swanson's Frozen Dinners, Star Trek, and The Brady Bunch —only add to the realism and heart of the book. These stories are full of drama, humor, descriptive language, and insight, and they make for a very enjoyable read. Adjmi subtly, but so perceptively, unfolds the characters' private fears, hopes, and dreams, zeroing in on how a single experience or event can change a life.”
—Jewish Book Council
“Twelve accounts bear witness to the female experience, and how the choices we make look differently depending on when and where we live. As a whole, the collection illustrates the influence of patriarchy, especially so before the #MeToo movement.”
—Travel+Leisure
“For fans of Three Women by Lisa Taddeo, Amazon's Modern Love, and HBO's Mrs. Fletcher, Life and Other Shortcomings is both a cautionary tale and a captivating window into women's lives. An honest, incisive, and compelling portrayal of the female experience.”
—Beyond the Bookend
“We're all familiar with the happy parts of relationships, we've been raised on them, but Life and Other Shortcomings gets into the nitty-gritty of what comes over time.”
—Paperback Paris
“Corie Adjmi's Life and Other Shortcomings is a slice of life literary work full of lessons that need to be shared today. Juxtaposing the present with the past, the book reveals a web of interconnected stories meant to relate to women's everyday lives. These stories are so honest and relatable, it hurts.”
Readers' Favorite
“Corie Adjmi's linked short stories tell of the heartaches and difficulties of growing up--physically and spiritually--as a woman in a patriarchal society. Wonderful writing!”
—Francoise Brodsky, Director Shakespeare & Co
“When you're tired of binge-watching Netflix, this collection is an honest cautionary tale about the female experience.”
—Brit + Co
“Twelve stories highlight very different women and their journeys.Take a peek into these women's lives and into their relationships.“
—Frolic Media
“Take a break from reality and relax with a great new book.“
—BuzzFeed
“Honest portrayal of women in a patriarchal world.“
—Bookstr
“Poignant,laugh-out-loud funny, and unnerving all at once, Life and Other Shortcomings is the one you've been waiting for. This collection is replete with emotionally charged, compassionate, true tolife characters. Stories come together to create layer over layer of veiled emotional and psychological complexity.“
—Nicole Dweck, author of The Debt of Tamar
About the Author
FTC Guidelines: In accordance with FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers, I would like my readers to know that many of the books I review are provided to me for free by the publisher or author of the book in exchange for an honest review. If am compensated for any reviews on this site I will state that post has been sponsored.
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