AVIVA VS. THE DYBBUK

Leah Horowitz conveys the sense of a traditional culture with her able narration of Jewish terms and details evoking the Orthodox community in which sixth-grader Aviva Jacobs lives with her widowed mother. The story gives context to traditions like the mikvah (ritual bath), machanayim (a game Aviva excels at), the bas mitzvah (a coming-of-age celebration), and Aviva's complex feelings about each. After her father's death, Aviva feels friendless and responsible for her depressed mother. Furthermore, she is the only one who can see the dybbuk, a ghost with unresolved earthly business. Horowitz grounds listeners in Aviva's perspective so fully that they'll cheer for her successes and be saddened by her troubles. They'll also be surprised at the ending of this story, which gives new meaning to the dybbuk's existence. S.W. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2022]