Two novels published this year tell the stories of Jewish women and their families in Chicago. One, on bittersweet place, is set, naturally, on Bittersweet Place, an actual Lakeview street just north of Irving Park Road. The story, written by Ronna Wineberg, is set in the 1920s; it follows the adolescence of Lena Czernitski, a new Russian Jewish immigrant.
Lori, by Charlene Wexler, is also about a Jewish family. But it is centered in both Chicago's northern suburbs and Europe, and spans decades, from 1970 to 2013. The plot revolves around a mother and her severely ill child. According to the author, the novel's themes also encompass "alcoholism, economic disaster, and the Holocaust"- and the friendship and inner strength that help Lori overcome these tragedies.
