How To Love Your Daughter

Israeli writer Blum’s sophomore novel and English-language debut introduces Yoella, who stands outside her daughter Leah’s house, thousands of miles from their home in Israel. Listeners learn that Yoella has not seen her daughter in years and has never met her two granddaughters or her son-in-law. She has no idea why her daughter has chosen to exile her from her life and is trying to summon the courage to confront her. The novel recounts their family life from Yoella’s perspective, going back and forth from Leah’s birth through the present time. Blum slowly reveals the complexity of their family as she introduces other characters, such as Yoella’s deceased husband and Leah’s school friends. With a measured, thoughtful tone, narrator Cassandra Campbell skillfully builds tension and breathes life into the people she portrays.