The Book of Separation

A Memoir

By: Tova Mirvis

Narrated by: Tova Mirvis

The memoir of a woman who leaves her faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world.

Born and raised in a tight-knit Orthodox Jewish family, Tova Mirvis committed herself to observing the rules and rituals prescribed by this way of life. After all, to observe was to be accepted and to be accepted was to be loved. She married a man from within the fold and quickly began a family.

But over the years, her doubts became noisier than her faith, and at age 40 she could no longer breathe in what had become a suffocating existence. Even though it would mean the loss of her friends, her community, and, possibly, even her family, Tova decides to leave her husband and her faith. After years of trying to silence the voice inside her that said she did not agree, did not fit in, did not believe, she strikes out on her own to discover what she does believe and who she really is. This will mean forging a new way of life not just for herself, but for her children, who are struggling with what the divorce and her new status as "not Orthodox" means for them.

This is a memoir about what it means to decide to heed your inner compass at long last. To free the part of yourself that has been suppressed, even if it means walking away from the only life you've ever known. Honest and courageous, Tova takes us through her first year outside her marriage and community as she learns to silence her fears and seek adventure on her own path to happiness.

©2017 Tova Mirvis (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Good book

A good read; however, she is too simplistic about her assessment of Orthodox Jews and Judaism.
Personally, I don’t think she was ever really into it
Also, she now claims everything is so great.
Let’s see what she says in ten years.
She’ll probably be divorced again- and never happy.
Too bad for Toba.

There are many ways to be

It's hard for me to put into words how this book made me feel. Essentially, less alone. <3

I was also raised in an orthodox religion (though not Jewish), I also spent my young adulthood trying to piece together the puzzle of being a strong, educated feminist in a patriarchal faith community -- convinced that I could. And, ultimately, I also left. But of course leaving is not that simple. As Tova says -- you leave again, and again.

I love the way Tova captures the pain and challenge and excitement of straddling two worlds and two selves in the journey towards authenticity.

An honest memoir

I liked the honesty and insight into orthodox belief . I was raised reformed Jewish and never knew much about Orthodox Judaism .

A wonderful listen!

Nothing like hearing a memoirist brave both the writing and reading of her story. Now I need to buy the book!

So many parallels

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a Mormon. I have recently decided to step away from the church. As I listened to the words read by Tova I was struck by how many similarities there are between her experience and mine. different religions, different rituals, different customs yet so many of her words hit home to my heart.