Honest Narration

What I really like about this book is how honest and straight forward it is. This is one of the few books that really puts it out there in plain language how it feels to be ethnic in America and how you see your ethnicity as an American. I also really like Mona's character. She strives so much for freedom and wants so much to be her own person. I am also suspicious that she is the narrator which makes the narration all the more compelling. The passage that really stuck out to me is when she's explaining to Rabbi Horowitz why she wants to be Jewish. When he questions her motives and implies she merely wants to be Jewish to rebel against her family she responds, "Maybe. But also I like it here at the temple. I like it that you tell everyone to ask, ask, instead of just obey, obey. I like it that people are supposed to be their rabbi, and do their business directly with G-d." (Also could not help but think of Kaplan here; banking vs. problem posing!) I thought this was a very honest, unique, and unexpected response, and it's a really understandable reason. From our class discussions it sounds like a lot of people aren't big fans of Mona, but I like her. She's got spunk!