A review by booksaremypeople
Shmutz by Felicia Berliner

4.0

What an interesting story! Raizl is a woman caught between two worlds: her Orthodox Jewish community and the porn she finds herself addicted to watching. She’s been given access to a computer in order to complete her studies in accounting so that she can help support her brothers’ education. Raizl wants to meet someone to spend her life with in earnest, but she’s just so distracted by the titillating life happening on the screen of her computer. This is a book that asks the question: how can we reconcile the very different parts of ourselves that are seemingly in opposition with one another? This is a book about communities and individualism woven together in a both funny and poignant narrative. Thank you to Netgalley and to Atria Books for the advanced review copy. Want to learn more? Listen to episode 81 of my book recommendation podcast, Books Are My People.