A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life

Sixteen-year-old Simone has always known that she is adopted and that her birth mother is a woman named Rivka. But, when Simone learns that Rivka is the daughter of a Hasidic Rabbi who accidentally got pregnant as a teenager, Simone's whole life and identity is turned up-side down. As Simone gets to know Rivka, who is dying from ovarian cancer, she also learns about Judaism, celebrating Shabbat, Hanukkah, and Passover, experiences her first relationship with a boy, and comes to terms with her own spiritual identity. Reinhardt's characters are smart, sassy, realistic American teenagers and her portrayal of a warm, loving, functional adoptive family is refreshing. Highly readable, fast-paced, and thought-provoking, A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life will be enjoyed by YA readers of all faiths.

Simone Turner-Bloom is your average above-average teenager. She has a mother, a father and a younger brother. She lives in an upper middle class home and is an excellent student with a gift for math. But, Simone is different from most of her peers in one significant way. She's adopted and doesn't look like her parents or her brother. This doesn't bother her much, because she's happy in her family and really feels an integral part of the Turner-Bloom home. One day, however, Simone's parents tell her that her birth mother, Rivka, wants to meet her. Simone struggles with this decision for months until, finally, she agrees to invite Rivka to Thanksgiving dinner. And, guess what? Simone finds herself drawn to her young birth mother and they begin a close relationship as Simone finds out about her past from her birth mother. Part of Rivka's past is Judaism, and atheist Simone is drawn to Rivka's practice of Judaism and its culture. There's a hitch, however, in this happy new relationship and it is the reason Rivka sought Simone out before adulthood. Rivka's sick with ovarian cancer and only has months to live. And, in the background of these momentous changes in Simone's life are everyday teenage challenges--first kisses, boyfriends, a friend's family troubles, etc. "a brief chapter in my impossible life" is different from most YA fiction in one, very unique way. Everyone involved--from Simone, to her friends and family, past and present--is essentially good. There's no abuse, alcoholism, or cutting in this book. It's a gorgeous examination of what happens when an extraordinary, but perfectly understandable, event challenges an essentially good, well-meaning teen. Reviewers write a lot about how YA fiction offers much to teens who are struggling with issues, but books like "a brief chapter in my impossible life" are important too. Simone and her story, minus the adoption and math genius issues, are easily recognizable to me and I suspect will be to many teen readers. "a brief chapter in my impossible life" is a beautifully written story. Simone's voice is strong and sympathetic. "a brief chapter in my impossible life" reminded me most of Justina Chen Headley's "Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies)." Both are highly recommended.

I bought this book hoping to find material suitable for my soon to be 12 year old who is longing to meet her birth mother. I thought the story of the adoptee-birth parent meeting was terrific and a good model for teens and adults alike. However, the main character is in high school and as such reports on experiences appropriate to that age which I would prefer not to encourage in my seventh grader. Therefore I will have to shelve it for a couple of years. Too bad, there isn't much in the way of adoptee-birth parent literature for this age group.

I would classify this as an early young adult book, appropriate for grades 7 and up. It's about a sixteen-year-old girl named Simone, who grows up knowing that she was adopted, without wanting to know anything about her birth parents. She is resentful when her parents tell her that her birth mother, Rivka, wants to get to know her. She eventually gives in, and finds her life enriched by knowing Rivka. I liked this book a lot. I found myself wanting to keep walking and listening, so that I could spend more time with Simone. I found her voice realistic (and the narrator did a wonderful job with this). She is sometimes a resentful teen, and sometimes awkward or insecure, and sometimes wise beyond her years. She has an unabashedly good relationship with her parents and her younger brother (ok, this is a tad unrealistic in my experience, but still nice to see). She has a small group of true friends, and a crush on a boy named Zack. I found the scenes between Simone and Zack particularly enjoyable. There's a scene in which Simone gets off the phone, and jumps up and down. Reading it, I almost wanted to be her. I certainly could identify with her. This book also has a lot of information about what it means to be Jewish. Simone is an atheist, being raised by atheist parents, but her birth mother, Rivka, was raised as a Hasidic Jew. As Simone gets to know Rivka, she learns about various Jewish ceremonies and customs. I found this a tiny bit heavy-handed. It was interesting to me to learn more about Passover and Seder, etc. But I felt once or twice like the author was deliberately educating me, which I tend to find off-putting when reading fiction. However, this was not off-putting enough to keep me from absolutely loving the book, and it was an important part of the story. And I actually think that the whole Jewish aspect to the story has the potential to increase my understanding of and empathy with some of my Jewish friends. Certainly it could do so for young adult readers. Overall, I highly recommend this book. It's a light-hearted, engaging read that also deals with complex issues. It brought a few tears to my eyes near the end, but made me smile, too. This review was originally posted on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on April 4th, 2006.

Dana Reinhardt's novel zooms in on an important and unique turning point in the life of Simone. Adopted at birth, Simone has lived in the loving and supportive home of her mom, dad and younger brother, Jake. She has tucked thoughts about who her birth parents might be into a deep pocket. But when she hears her birth mother, Rivka, would like to communicate with her, Simone chooses to dip into that pocket, albeit cautiously at first. What ensues is Reinhardt's poignant novel. This is one of those books that touches tender in the hearts of readers. Simone's catharsis is very much a result of her endeavor to learn about Rivka and her past. One admires Simone for her courage and her refusal to harbor resentment for Rivka and her parents. Instead, she opens herself to her past and as a result, is able to open herself up more readily to the present. Teens and adults alike will enjoy the authenticity of Simone's voice. Her friendships with her peers are meaningful, her candid relationship with Rivka is admirable and her willingness to take a chance on love is inspirational. This is a story of love, friendship and family. Beautifully written. Inspirational. Spiritual. A great read. A MUST read.