ONE OF THEM

Gilli Messer gives a grand performance in this historical novel about two young Jewish women. Miriam Bishop, who goes by Anne, and Delia Goldhush both attend Vassar College in the late 1940s. Jewish students are rare on campus, and while Delia is proudly open about her religion, Anne tries to pass as Christian. After Delia is expelled from Vassar in an incident in which Anne played a part, they both end up in Paris where they accidentally meet at a gallery. On display there is artwork by Delia's mother, who disappeared during the Holocaust. Messer's nuanced narration peels away the layers of both women, whose reserves are up after difficult upbringings: Delia and her father fled France during the Occupation, and Anne has recently lost both parents. M.J. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2025]