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The Ladies' Auxiliary
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Plot Summary of The Ladies' Auxiliary
"When Batsheva and her young daughter, Ayala move into the Observant/Orthodox Jewish community in Memphis, TN, the residents, particularly members of the Ladies' Auxiliary, don't know what to make of her presence. Though she is the widow of a former community member, she is a convert to Judaism, an artist of abstract paintings, and a questioner of religious practice and observance levels.

It is the youths of the community who connect with Batsheva, particularly the teenage girls, who are captivated by her uniqueness. As she creates friendships with the girls (as well as the Rabbi's young son), Batsheva stir up trouble.

Mirvis' slice-of-life tale gives her readers an insight into small town, Jewish life and the impact that the American culture/world has on its community. It is a story of miscommunication, gossip, sadness, and hope."

Samantha S., Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Ladies' Auxiliary
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - present (2000-2010)
Inside culture (main char) - Jew
Internal struggle/realization? Yes
Struggle over - religious issues
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Outside culture (society) - Jewish
If story of urban/rural... - Small town life
Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - artist
Age: - 40's-50's
Eccentric/Mental Yes
Eccentric: - eccentric
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality - Jewish
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
Age: - 40's-50's
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - throughout most of the book.
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 ()
United States Yes
Small town? Yes

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
Unusual Style: - No single main character?
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Tova Mirvis Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Samantha S.  

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