It’s the complete version of a story touched upon in a 2014 New York Times essay.

“The Book of Separation,” Mirvis’ latest, reads like a novel but is actually a memoir, much of it set in Newton and replete with local references. While no stranger to controversy (Mirvis' portrayal of Orthodox Jews in “The Ladies Auxiliary” and its follow-up “The Outside World” were frowned upon by some) what loomed would take her far beyond the relatively safe boundaries of literary criticism: Shortly before her 40th birthday, she would leave both her husband and the religious structure she had known her entire life. Indeed, she was burning with angst, no longer willing to abide by Orthodox Judaism's dietary rules, observance of Shabbat and rabbinical authority. On the inside, Mirvis was uneasy about the Orthodox lifestyle and its inseparable relationship to her marriage and family. Eventually they moved to Newton to raise their children, attending synagogue in Newton Centre, by all appearances a typical modern Orthodox family.īy all appearances. Mirvis moved north to attend Columbia University, where she met her future husband, also strictly observant. She was also brought up Orthodox, part of a tight-knit Jewish community that was the setting for her first novel, the New York Times bestseller “The Ladies Auxiliary.” Mirvis grew up in Memphis, Tenn., a true daughter of the South whose family has roots in that city dating to the 1870s. Tova Mirvis has traveled a long way from home.

The book of separation tova mirvis