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A young Yemeni Israeli woman learns of her mother’s secret romance in a dramatic journey through lost family stories, revealing the unbreakable bond between a mother and a daughter in the debut novel of an award-winning literary voice.
1950 Thousands of Yemeni Jews have immigrated to the newly founded Israel in search of a better life. In an overcrowded immigrant camp in Rosh Ha’ayin, Yaqub, a shy young man, happens upon Saida, a beautiful girl singing by the river. In the midst of chaos and uncertainty, they fall in love. But they weren’t supposed to; Saida is married and has a child, and a married woman has no place befriending another man.
1995. Thirty-something Zohara, Saida’s daughter, has been living in New York City—a city that feels much less complicated than Israel, where she grew up wishing her skin were lighter, her illiterate mother’s Yemeni music quieter, and that the father who always favored her was alive. She hasn’t looked back since leaving home, rarely in touch with her mother or sister, Lizzie, and missing out on her nephew Yoni’s childhood. But when Lizzie calls to tell her their mother has died, she gets on a plane to Israel with no return ticket.
Soon Zohara finds herself on an unexpected path that leads to shocking truths about her family—including dangers that lurk for impressionable young men and secrets that force her to question everything she thought she knew about her parents, her heritage, and her own future.
Jonathan Garfinkel, author of In a Land Without Dogs the Cats Learn to Bark
Elizabeth Graver, author of Kantika
Molly Antopol, author of The UnAmericans
“With Zohara as a central character, Tsabari examines the effect of loss on a woman struggling to define herself as a Jew, a scholar, and an Israeli. A timely, well-crafted tale, imbued with cultural and personal sorrow.”
“Heartfelt and lyrical debut…Tsabari artfully plays up the religious and secular contrasts between East and West, and her well-developed characters, dramatic plot twists, and rich description of Tel Aviv will keep readers turning the pages. This is transportive.”
“Songs for the Brokenhearted is immersive, distinguished by sharp and agile prose, a remarkable cast of fully realized characters, and spellbinding storytelling. And when it comes to bearing witness to the vibrant history and culture of generations of Israel’s marginalized groups, the novel is an unparalleled triumph.”
“…masterfully written, gripping, beautiful, tender, complicated. … I’m grateful to Tsabari for telling these stories in a way that is captivating, moving, and lyrical—a song for our time.”
“In this rich tapestry, Tsabari weaves a nuanced tale that eschews absolutes. … This is the work of an accomplished writer who is certain of her subject and her craft.”
“Outstanding… You can almost hear Saida singing her original lyrics to traditional Yemenite songs as you read this moving, highly recommended novel.”
“In her debut novel, the Israeli-Canadian memoirist and short-story writer weaves a sweeping tale about Yemeni Jews from three perspectives… Songs for the Brokenhearted is the novel Ayelet Tsabari was born to write.”
“a powerful, multigenerational story about a Yemeni Israeli family, their traditions and long-buried secrets.”
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