Review: The Innocents

The Innocents by Francesca Segal

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Confession: I didn't know this book was a modern retelling of [b:The Age of Innocence|53835|The Age of Innocence|Edith Wharton|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388248423s/53835.jpg|1959512] by Edith Wharton, and truth be told I've never read that anyway. And I almost didn't read this at all - Meredith recommended it but the story sounded trite. In a close-knit Jewish community in London, a young couple who has been together for years gets engaged, then the woman's promiscuous cousin comes to town and shakes things up.

But I am glad I decided to read it anyway - because it was well-written, subtle, and nuanced. While the high-level story isn't surprising, it's the journey of this book (vs the destination) that is so special. I enjoyed reading about the Jewish community in another country - both familiar and foreign. I also enjoyed following the plot. The characters were surprisingly well-developed and the story was compelling.

It also piqued my curiosity to read Wharton....



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