ETERNAL LIFE

“The hard part isn’t living forever … It’s making life worth living.”

This unique, enchanting novel tells the story of Rachel, who has the seriously inconvenient problem of being immortal. Alive forever because of a bargain made over two thousand years ago, she has had hundreds of families and even more children, and at the end of each life she is reinvented again into a young woman. A kind of Red Tent meets modern dysfunctional Jewish family, this novel’s chronology shifts fluidly from Roman-occupied Jerusalem to present day New York. Rachel’s on-again-off-again “boyfriend," who is in the same can’t-die predicament, resurfaces throughout the centuries to cause havoc within her carefully ordered lives, and to threaten her well kept secret.

This book, which is at once funny, somber, passionate and suspenseful, explores what happens when our notions of what is finite are upended. It also considers the complexity of motherhood, specifically the heartache inherent in the passage of time as parenting roles evolve. Perhaps most of all, this gem of a novel tells us it is ok - maybe even necessary - to laugh about the things in life that are the most serious of all.

Because I’m obsessed with the color orange, I pre-ordered the paperback version of this book with this specific cover. Isn’t it gorgeous? The day it arrived I discovered this fabulous color-coordinated recipe for butternut squash flatbread with za’atar and hummus. Za’atar is a traditional Israeli herb that can be traced back to the Bible, where it is called eizov and actually had many medical uses in ancient times. Today you can make your own za’atar with sesame seeds, sumac, salt and dried herbs - and it is insanely delicious. I’ll be dreaming of these roasted ribbons of spiced squash for days! Thanks to Smitten Kitchen or the flatbread recipe and My Jewish Learning for the za’atar recipe and fun spice facts.