Review by SarahRW -- Hidden: Nistar by Batya Casper
Posted: 02 Sep 2019, 19:33
[Following is a volunteer review of "Hidden: Nistar" by Batya Casper.]
2 out of 4 stars
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Hidden: Nistar by Batya Casper is more like a collection of short stories than a novel. One half takes place is Israel, and the other in Manchester, England. In Israel, we follow the story of a Jewish family living with a tragic history and the effects their past and present have on their future. The points of view change from a young girl, her grandmother, and a family friend. In Manchester, World War II and the Blitz are in full swing. A British family struggles to navigate a new world of tragedy and uncertainty, as well as reluctantly boarding Jewish refugees. The points of view change from the mother of the family, her daughter, and one of the refugees.
In Hebrew, nistar means “miracles that are hidden” (from Google search). Within all of the stories, this theme is present. From struggling with the loss of loved ones, to navigating social and family politics, Casper delves into the emotional, and sometimes physical consequences that can burden us after tragedies. However, as the title suggests, there can be silver linings and hidden miracles waiting in the most adverse of times. Humans have always struggled and fought, but our pathological need for connection, hope, growth, and progress, are universal. Nistar can cross decades, countries, nationalities, and religions. Casper’s writing is intimate, elegantly phrased, and well observed.
The first half of the book, which takes place in Israel, has a somewhat disjointed chronological order, which confuses the reader. The points of view switch from 1st to 3rd person in one story, confusing the reader and taking away from the story’s impact. The writing rambles a bit at times (and overdramatic at others) but is clear overall, if less impactful than the author probably intended. Mild swearing: pg. 51 – “damn door”; pg. 83- “shut the hell up.” Typo pg. 85 – “sat at atable” should be “a table.”
The second half of the book (set in Manchester) has a much clearer tone and interesting points of view. The theme of nistar is much stronger and the writing flows better than in the first half of the book. There are lot of odd dream moments, and some moments of unnecessary tangents or rambling. Mild swearing: pg. 120 – “Take the bloody thing off…” (bloody= British swear word), again on pgs. 129, 133, 146. Typo pg. 194 – “liked Myra’s” should be “like Myra’s.”
This book would appeal to readers of historical fiction, family dramas, or those interested in characters of/stories about the Jewish faith. I liked the flow of the writing and the theme of nistar the best. The author did well writing the hidden thoughts of the characters, as well as the interactions between the other characters. I disliked the first half of the book (set in Israel) a little because of the confusing flow and points of view. I also felt the stories weren’t really resolved in either half of the book. The two halves don’t relate to each other besides the theme of nistar. I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars.
******
Hidden: Nistar
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
2 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Hidden: Nistar by Batya Casper is more like a collection of short stories than a novel. One half takes place is Israel, and the other in Manchester, England. In Israel, we follow the story of a Jewish family living with a tragic history and the effects their past and present have on their future. The points of view change from a young girl, her grandmother, and a family friend. In Manchester, World War II and the Blitz are in full swing. A British family struggles to navigate a new world of tragedy and uncertainty, as well as reluctantly boarding Jewish refugees. The points of view change from the mother of the family, her daughter, and one of the refugees.
In Hebrew, nistar means “miracles that are hidden” (from Google search). Within all of the stories, this theme is present. From struggling with the loss of loved ones, to navigating social and family politics, Casper delves into the emotional, and sometimes physical consequences that can burden us after tragedies. However, as the title suggests, there can be silver linings and hidden miracles waiting in the most adverse of times. Humans have always struggled and fought, but our pathological need for connection, hope, growth, and progress, are universal. Nistar can cross decades, countries, nationalities, and religions. Casper’s writing is intimate, elegantly phrased, and well observed.
The first half of the book, which takes place in Israel, has a somewhat disjointed chronological order, which confuses the reader. The points of view switch from 1st to 3rd person in one story, confusing the reader and taking away from the story’s impact. The writing rambles a bit at times (and overdramatic at others) but is clear overall, if less impactful than the author probably intended. Mild swearing: pg. 51 – “damn door”; pg. 83- “shut the hell up.” Typo pg. 85 – “sat at atable” should be “a table.”
The second half of the book (set in Manchester) has a much clearer tone and interesting points of view. The theme of nistar is much stronger and the writing flows better than in the first half of the book. There are lot of odd dream moments, and some moments of unnecessary tangents or rambling. Mild swearing: pg. 120 – “Take the bloody thing off…” (bloody= British swear word), again on pgs. 129, 133, 146. Typo pg. 194 – “liked Myra’s” should be “like Myra’s.”
This book would appeal to readers of historical fiction, family dramas, or those interested in characters of/stories about the Jewish faith. I liked the flow of the writing and the theme of nistar the best. The author did well writing the hidden thoughts of the characters, as well as the interactions between the other characters. I disliked the first half of the book (set in Israel) a little because of the confusing flow and points of view. I also felt the stories weren’t really resolved in either half of the book. The two halves don’t relate to each other besides the theme of nistar. I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars.
******
Hidden: Nistar
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon