“…the mask of politeness has been ripped off so quickly; why do we even bother keeping up appearances if they shatter so easily?”

Genre: General Fiction
Pages: 240
Published: April 13, 2021
Rate: 3.5 ⭐⭐⭐
Goodreads Synopsis
As soon as Sheila hears the news, she knows the police will be calling. Dina Kaminer—one of Israel’s preeminent feminist scholars and Sheila’s oldest friend—has been found murdered, the word “mother” carved into her forehead and a baby doll fixed to her hands.

For Sheila, that word is a warning. Two decades before, she and Dina had joined a group of women who swore they would never have children. Instead, they would follow the example of “The Others,” women the Torah considered childless, but they saw as willingly child-free. Sheila has upheld her vow year after year, even as her friendship with Dina fell apart. But now, as more women turn up dead, each transformed into a mother against her will, Sheila must decide if she’s made the right choice . . . and who might want to make her pay the ultimate price.

Disclaimer: I got a copy of the book from the publishers for review but all thoughts and opinions expressed are honest and my own.

My Take
I really loved the premise of this story. Just from reading the blurb I knew I’m in for a ride, and I wasn’t disappointed.
The Others is translated from Hebrew by Daniella Zamir, and with how the story flowed, I don’t think there was anything lost in translation. A win!
The Others is a well told story. With characters with distinctive personalities brought out so well, I didn’t know if I wanted to love them or hate them. I loved how each had their own story and how we got to learn it.

Sarah Blau writing is so good. With chilling plot points, others thrilling and some mysterious, I love how she wrote all these scenes, I was hooked. I wanted more.

The plot twist in The Others was one I didn’t see coming which made the whole reading experience even better.

The only thing that I didn’t like was the pacing. The book starts out with a punch and I thought it would keep at it but some points lagged before picking up pace near the end.

The Others is a mystifying read, one that I enjoyed and found quick to get through. And this a perfect pick for Women In Translation month.