With a detachement and a sense of humour only someone having to deal with an overwhelming daily challenge could have, Malka Zipora is sharing her wisdom and experience about being a Jewish Orthodox mother. Far from being a memoir, her short stories collected under Rather Laugh Than Cry. Stories from a Hassidic Household, are not only interesting for the information shared - from little cooking tips to parenting and insights about the observant life - but also for the good waves and inspiration sent to the reader.
At the very big sense of the world, the stories could be considered short fragments of a memoir, with personal accounts being the base of her writing. But even if you take them as just stories and personal accounts, it does not diminish at all the quality of the writing.
Born in Israel to Hungarian Shoah survivor parents, Malka Ziporah lived in Australis and New York before settling to Montreal where she is raising her family. Her book was on my to-read list for a long time, first because I was very curious to check a woman author with a very traditional background. Although in the last years, more women from Hassidic families are taking the challenge of becoming writers, many of them might share mostly their religious and personal struggles.
Malka Ziporah also has lots of struggles to cope with round the day, but her emunah and resilience place her on the other side of the stories, where life was accepted already as it is and her desire to write doesn't contradict her status of a Hassidic woman. Her faith is a source of inspiration and strength and by sharing her experiences she is opening up her usually reclused world to an universal audience. The authenticity of her voice is part of her contribution as a writer to displaying an unique sparkle worth being included to the literary experiences.
My biggest regret was that the book finished and there are not other books by Malka Ziporah I can keep reading to remain in this world, in her world.
