The English Book Club: What are you reading? "The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem" by Sarit Yishai-Levi

Noelia's contribution

The book

"The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem" by Sarit Yishai-Levi is a captivating and multi-generational novel that immerses readers into the vibrant world of Jerusalem, specifically the Sephardic community, during the mid-20th century. With its rich storytelling and colorful characters, this book delves into themes of love, family, tradition, and the changing dynamics of a society undergoing significant transformation.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the novel is its well-drawn characters. Readers fall in love with Rosa's complex and memorable.

The setting of Jerusalem is vividly depicted throughout the book, giving readers a sense of the city's history, traditions, and cultural diversity. Yishai-Levi expertly showcases the intertwining of different religious and ethnic communities living side by side and the impact of political events on their everyday lives. The author's attention to detail, whether describing the bustling marketplaces or the religious traditions, adds depth and authenticity to the story.

The novel also explores the role of women in Jerusalem society during that period. Analyzing the expectations placed on women, their struggles for independence, their sexuality, etc. This feminist undertone adds an intriguing layer to the narrative and makes the characters and their choices even more compelling.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this beautiful novel. It is a well-written novel. The characters are masterfully developing. The reading captures readers from the first page to the end.

The Author

Source: Babelio

Sarit Yishai-Levi was born in Jerusalem in 1947 to a Sephardic family who lived in this city for seven generations. She studied at the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio and later journalism at Tel Aviv Unervisity. She acted in theatres and films. Before becoming a journalist and correspondent in different Israeli newspapers,

In 2014, her first book, The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem, won the Staimatzky Prize for best-selling book of the year. Recently, the novel has been adapted into a TV series on the famous digital platform Netflix.

Her second novel, A Women Beyond the Sea, received the Publisher Association's Gold and Platinum Prizes.

First look trailer of the exciting period drama 'The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem based on the international best-seller of the same name, written by Sarit Yishai-Levi.