Being Esther: A Novel

By Miriam Karmel

A wonderful fiction debut, Being Esther gives voice to Esther Lustig, an extraordinary woman who has lived a conventional life, in this touching exploration of aging.

In spare, unsentimental prose, Miriam Karmel provides readers with one of literature’s finest portraits of the last months of a woman’s life. Sad and amusing, unpretentious and ambitious, Karmel’s prose brings understanding and tremendous empathy to the character of Esther Lustig, a woman who readers will recognize and embrace. Born to parents who fled the shtetl, Esther Lustig has led a seemingly conventional life marriage, two children, a life in suburban Chicago. Now, at the age of 85, her husband is deceased, her children have families of their own, and most of her friends are gone. Even in this diminished condition, life has its moments of richness, as well as its memorable characters. Being Esther reflects the need, as Esther puts it, for better roadmaps for growing old.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Milkweed Editions
• Release date: Apr 2, 2013
• ISBN: 9781571318749

Reviews for Being Esther

[raizel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought I'd try this book because it was included in a list for a library book group and I'm studying the Biblical Esther. I quickly discovered that the main character, to her own regret, was not named for anyone; her mother knew someone named Esther Jo and liked the name.There is the occasional switch from the usual past tense of stories to the present tense; I don't know why. We learn a lot about Esther's past and present, but lots of other stuff of equal weight is not discussed. for example, how did she meet her husband? I'd be curious to know how she feels about being Jewish; like many of her generation, she is not observant. Is this a conscious rebellion on her part or another example of doing what was expected of her?The book is certainly readable, but reminds why I don't read a lot of typical novels. Wow, I'm being way harsh. It was not a waste of time. Maybe I'm just not ready to admit that I'm getting old.

[jackieblem · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This delightful book is about Esther, age 85, and her last few months before her death. She as real as any character I've ever fallen in love with. She has some regrets, some joys, and a whole lot of opinions. She's a normal woman who had a normal life. a normal marriage, a normal motherhood, but there is a spark to her that just won't fade. She's the same person she's always been, as she sees it, though admittedly older, creakier, slower. A simple life is not a boring life--not by any means. Thank you, Esther, for reminding me of that! What a delightful book, even if it did end up making me cry.

[pdebolt_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Esther Lustig is an elderly Jewish woman who anticipates her demise with frequency. She has led a remarkably uneventful life, has survived her emotionally-distant husband, has a somewhat contentious relationship with her daughter and, apparently, has not much interaction with a son who lives in another state. Esther goes through her list of life-long acquaintances in order to reconnect with long-held memories; this exploration leads to some information that is difficult for Esther to assimilate. She is frightened of being forced to leave her home to live in a retirement home, and her increasing interest in memories of the past lend her a poignancy that is endearing.