Diana Bletter, "A Remarkable Kindness" (Paperback)
From a striking new voice comes a novel tracing the lives of four American women who are part of a unique Jewish tradition in their coastal village in Northern Israel: they prepare and dress women for burial, as they grow in friendship and marriages, learn to accept death, and to appreciate the sorrows and wonders of life.

Through a largely hidden ceremony…four friends discover the true meaning of life.

It's 2006 in a seaside village in Israel, where a war is brewing. Lauren, Emily, Aviva and Rachel, four memorable women from different backgrounds, are drawn to the village. Lauren, a maternity nurse, loves her Israeli doctor husband but struggles to make a home for herself in a foreign land miles away from her beloved Boston. Seeking a fresh start after divorce, her vivacious friend Emily follows. Strong, sensuous Aviva, brought to Israel years earlier by intelligence work, has raised a family and now lost a son. And Rachel, a beautiful, idealistic college graduate from Wyoming, arrives with her hopeful dreams.

The women forge a friendship that sustains them as they come to terms with love and loss, and the outbreak of war. Their intimate bond is strengthened by their participation in a traditional ritual that closes the circle of life. As their lives are slowly transformed, each finds unexpected strength and resilience.

Brimming with wisdom, rich in meaningful insights, A Remarkable Kindness is a moving testament to women’s friendship, illuminating a mostly unknown ritual that underscores what it means to truly be alive.

Diana Bletter grew up in Great Neck, New York, and attended high school with Temple Beth Tikvah's Rabbi Stacy Offner. Last summer, during the Gaza war Rabbi Offner was in Israel with members of her congregation and connected Diana. Diana will be the TBT Shabbat speaker on August 28th at 7:15pm. Please join the Temple Beth Tikvah community that evening for services and a discussion by Diana Bletter about 'Living in northern Israel having grown up in Great Neck, NY'.

Both events are FREE. To register go to RJ Julia's website or paste into your browser: http://www.rjjulia.com/827-diana-bletter

A Remarkable Kindness (Paperback)
By Diana Bletter
$14.99
ISBN: 9780062382443
Availability: Coming Soon - Available for Pre-Order Now
Published: William Morrow & Company - August 11th, 2015