DISOBEDIENCE

Alderman's first novel, set in the world of British Orthodox Jewry, offers detailed insights into a tradition that can usually only be glimpsed and guessed at—the ritual baths, the rush to prepare the Sabbath, the behind-the-scenes back-biting and manipulations of congregants. Prefacing segments with quotes from the Torah and Talmud, Alderman does an excellent job of capturing how individuals and community justify themselves. The story itself, however, is far less interesting, veering between the obvious and the incredible, with the result that listeners aren't able to identify or sympathize. Roe Kendall's narration is adequate but uninspired, and the voices of the two women protagonists are often difficult to differentiate. R.R. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 07]