BOOK Worm: “People Speak 5” by Chaim Walder… a non-fiction collection of heartwarming stories on life, family, religious adherence and social acceptability.

The eBook “People Speak 5” by Chaim Walder

The book “People Speak 5” by Chaim Walder, with ISBN 150543260X, is a non-fictitious collection of 24 short stories about various topics on life, family, religious beliefs and traditions, and individual social principles and acceptance. Narrated from the viewpoint of real people telling their own stories and experiences, the stories are set amidst Jewish communities in Israel and the United States. Originally compiled in Hebrew under the title “Sipurim MeiHaChaim 5”, the short stories are translated into English by Aviva Fishman Rapaport. The book contains a glossary of Hebrew, Yiddish and Armaic words and phrases, useful for readers like me who do not come from the same background. The short stories can be individually read, without reference to each other or to its previous book series.

To start with, this is the first e-Book I got to read using my Kindle Fire HD. From a technical perspective, this 228-page and 399 kB eBook takes less than a minute to download and has its own optional publisher font to use for relaxed reading. It has simultaneous device usage that allows sharing across all devices, so I get to read the book in excerpts from my iPhone while mobile, or my Kindle during bedtime. The cover page consists of the consistent artwork used for the literature series that highlights the series number, an easy grab from my e-library.

This is my review of the book’s contents:

The storytellers’ perspectives are similar to each other in terms of formal writing, that is, sentence construction and use of words and terminology by ordinary everyday people. Each are light to read and evoke the central topics of personal beliefs and emotions that often discuss the intricate balance of individual idiosyncrasies, religious tradition adherence and social acceptability.

To mention a few of the short stories that are relevant to me are the short stories “Nursing Home” about a widower who remarried in his senior years and opted to sell all his assets and live in an elderly care institution against his children’s wishes, “Building Number Eighteen” about a man who balances the his job, his family’s security to have a better home and the time and financial demands of both, and “The Only Thing to Fear is Fear Itself” about a woman who was hesitant to have more children because of health repercussion.

A favorite pick for me is the hilariously written short story “Covered for Life”, a story of a woman who wouldn’t submit to covering her hair for the sake of religious and social acceptability, yet when she finally succumbed to the pressure by wearing a wig, found herself saved from possible harm.

I am rating this book a four-star guided by my priority criteria of personal relevance for selecting the books I read. I am not Jewish, but after reading this book, my understanding and respect for the cultural uniqueness is heightened.

Disclaimer:  I had purchased, used & currently enjoy using this product. This voluntary & unsolicited product review is intended to share personal insights on facts & actual experiences on its use in order to aid fellow consumers with informed choices in their purchases.

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