Frona is convinced she’s the most sinful person in her Greek mountain village. When her parents arrange her marriage with a distant stranger, she is determined to suppress her impulses and become a dutiful wife and mother. But things don't go as planned: A furious fetus, a friend’s secret wish, a man finding new life in an empty well, a lecherous priest, an unorthodox wandering daughter, invading soldiers, and a wayward ghost attempting reparations all erode the stories Frona has been telling herself about what it means to be a good person. A darkly comedic fairy tale with a magical feminist bent, Until They Sleep confronts the horrors of a world that tries to narrowly define womanhood and sexuality.
Complex and moving
"A complex and intensely moving look at love, at trauma, at illness and the lengths a person may go to in their ultimate quest for belonging. Hannah is a desperate young woman with a traumatic past, a business and film major, living in Toronto. A social outcast of sorts, Hannah is searching for what she has never been able to find — unconditional love, and a sense of community, and belonging. Jillian Azoulay is a “glittery and magnetic” singer, with olive skin and cheekbones to die for, — a classmate of Hannah’s, with a reputation for trouble. When the two meet, Hannah and Jillian form an instantaneous bond, fireworks that sweep Hannah off her feet and down a path there is no escape from. “I’d forgotten how good it felt to get Jillian’s full undivided attention. It was like having a close, personal relationship with the sun. ” And so begins Hannah’s intense and all-consuming journey to find herself — one which will take her down rabbit holes beginning with drugs, sex, and stimulation; and expanding to include religion, spirituality and community. A survivor of abuse from her Jewish cult-leader father, as Hannah becomes entangled with both stimulation-seeking Jillian, and an all-controlling uber-rich Judaic family, she will confront what she sees as her essential soul, seeking both the salvation of belonging, and the highs of passionate love. For the reader, this path will include a sweeping introduction to the intricacies of Orthodox Jewish faith, — including life-altering changes, comforts, and ultimate challenges — as Hannah’s past, and her tenuous hold on her own life, leaves her vulnerable to influences that may very well turnout to be her salvation, or her undoing. A great big thank you to the author, the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own."
