🎤︎︎ New Five Books Episode: Jessica Berger Gross On Cultural Judaism and Creative Resistance

When Hazel Blum’s father lands a tenured position at a prestigious college, her family uproots from Brooklyn to a small college town in Maine. But when a startling event upends the first day of Hazel’s senior year, the fragile balance of their seemingly idyllic new life begins to unravel.

Jessica Berger Gross, author of the memoir Estranged: Leaving Family and Finding Home, joins us to talk about her debut novel Hazel Says No. We discuss how trauma and creativity can coexist, the warmth and humor of cultural Judaism, and the pivotal role of storytelling in shaping identity. Jessica reflects on how a high school production of Brighton Beach Memoirs changed her life, and why the act of saying “no” can be not only healing, but an act of resistance, deeply rooted in Jewish tradition.

Click on the graphic above to listen!

Jessica Berger Gross’s Five Books

1. Brighton Beach Memoirs by Neil Simon

2. Howard Stern Comes Again by Howard Stern

3. The Postcard by Anne Berest

4. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

5. Hazel Says No by Jessica Berger Gross

We hope you enjoy this week’s episode! Tell us what you think at [email protected] or by replying to this email!

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