Why She Married Him: A Novel

By Myriam Chapman

"History and fiction merge in this richly embroidered tale of a young Jewish woman in early 20th-century France." Set in Paris in the early 1900s, Why She Married Him tells the story of Nina... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1590511751
• ISBN13: 9781590511756
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Other Press (NY)
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

terrifically readable

I couldn't put this book down. It was fascinating on a personal level and in view of the history of its time. It makes you reflect on your own life in this place and year. Makes a good gift.

A Russian Jewish Bride in Paris at the Turn-of-the 20thCentury

The story of a Jewish family who immigrated to Paris from Russia at the turn-of-the 20th century is told through the eyes of a handsome young woman married to a good man that she may or may not actually love. This elegant novel with Tolstoyian dimension is a wonderful read that depicts everyday life in Paris and Tsarist Russia with a visionary eye. I recommended it most highly! Jeanine Parisier Plottel

A different perspective on the Russian Revolution

As a Russian Jew on the eve of the Russian Revolution, Nina escapes with her family and eventually settles for a husband -- the answer to why she marries Abraham is folded into the tale of her life. This book is equal parts historical fiction and family drama -- as I read it I enjoyed learning about samovars and pogroms as much as Nina's efforts to rise above her station. Chapman's historic detail give the book teeth, and her heroine's divided loyalty gives the backward-moving plot momentum.

Why She Married Him

A lot of fun. Great historical detail. I learned a lot about a time and place I had always been interested in. The novel moves backward, so the farther you go along, the more you realize why the heroine is bound to make the choices she does. As we all are.