Book Description
A smoldering debut novel about a young mother in an Orthodox Jewish community of Los Angeles whose quest for authenticity erupts in a passionate affair following a night of wife swapping
Rina Kirsch is a young mother and Modern Orthodox Jew in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles. Dutifully keeping to the formidable expectations of a traditional household connects Rina with generations past and those to come. But a contradiction burns at her center: Rina is an atheist. She is also stymied in her life and marriage.
Hoping to reinvigorate their relationship, Rina’s husband convinces her to partake in a night of wife swapping with other Orthodox couples. Rather than preserve her marriage, however, the swap plunges Rina down a heady path that begins with a rekindled passion for painting and culminates in an intoxicating affair with Will Ochoa, her married art teacher. Clandestine rendezvous and stolen moments of ardor awaken Rina to an existence beyond the confining parameters of tradition, offering a glimpse at the possible life she left behind in the olive groves of her youth. As the blush of erotic thrill comes into sharp contrast with the complications of living a secret life, Rina must decide if it’s worth sacrificing everything she’s ever known to fully inhabit the uncharted landscape unfolding before her, one where her needs take precedence.
Told in the fevered tenor common to both lust and religious devotion, Olive Days is an unforgettable story of the agonizing choices women make to balance duty against desire.
Praise For This Book
Los Angeles Daily News, A Most Anticipated Summer ReadZibby Media, A Most Anticipated Title for Fall/Winter
"Emerson’s first novel deftly captures the longings of a woman trapped between passion and obligation." —Becky Meloan, The Washington Post
"Stunning, steamy and unique." —People
"Immediately provocative and lures you to read more." —Playboy
"Emerson’s writing is heavy in detail but never bogs down on the page. Her vivid descriptions of Los Angeles have one eye on greenery and the other on concrete, framing unexpected metaphors and connecting moments of beauty and devotion . . . A clever and brief switch in narration two-thirds through propels Olive Days to its conclusion while also revealing the depths of delusion between the lovers, how deeply they have fallen."—Jessica Blough, Alta
"Made my jaw drop . . . If you're tired of the same old same old, I can assure you that Olive Days is unlike anything you've read before." —Marion Winik, WYPR's The Weekly Reader
"Olive Days is begging to be discussed among friends . . . Beautiful prose . . . Olive Days is a promising debut novel for fans of Jami Attenberg and Nicole Krauss that I can see being a thought-provoking book club selection." —Sarah Stiefvater, PureWow
"[A] smart, steamy first novel." —Phyllis Braun, Arizona Jewish Post
"Olive Days is a brilliant exploration of the lasting power of Jewishness, of Jewishness that’s not dependent on belief . . . Emerson is an incredibly acute observer . . . Olive Days is a fantastic debut novel." —Karen E. H. Skinazi, Jewish Journal
"If you’re looking for a steamy novel to read around the fireplace this fall involving a Modern Orthodox mother, a night of wife swapping, and an affair with a married art teacher, I have just the book for you . . . Emerson aptly details what it’s like to live a life that was never meant for you—a life molded by traditions and duties over desire." —Bonnie Azoulay, Kveller
"Luscious . . . Olive Days forces us to break away from our own lists of tasks and assumptions, to savor Rina’s story’s luminescence. Emerson is a stunning stylist whose words burn on the page. Her novel is sensuous, yet it’s not just about sex and scandal. Rather, Emerson’s heady prose captures the ache of wondering what we truly worship and why." —Jessie Szalay, Jewish Book Council
"[A] steamy debut." —Sam Franzini, Our Culture Mag
"Skillfully told, Olive Days, is a story of unbridled passion, lust and introspection . . . Olive Days is an intense and profound story that combines religion, tradition and lust . . . Thought-provoking and deep, Olive Days is a fascinating story." —Evie Harris, Fresh Fiction
"A very lustful book about sex and religion. What do we want from these things? Can they coexist? Can you be yourself with both or none? The questions tackled in the book are tackled in a careful and sincere manner. A very hot book, indeed." —Adam Vitcavage, Debutiful
"Emerson’s first novel is intriguing, particularly with Rina's coarse and profane speech reflecting her jaded view of her religious environment. Rina's struggle to find belonging and self-love while trapped in a suffocating predicament will capture readers who find such journeys meaningful." —Booklist
"Intense, uninhibited [. . .] this bold debut is unlike anything you’ve seen before." —Kirkus Reviews
"Effervescent . . . Emerson provides a fascinating picture of Rina’s commitments as a Modern Orthodox woman and goes deep into the psychological battle between her duty to uphold tradition and her life-affirming desire. The result is titillating and thought-provoking in equal measure." —Publishers Weekly
"Olive Days is a completely immersive novel, unlike anything I've read. We're in so deep with Rina, as she navigates the complicated restraints of her Orthodox Jewish community, that every meal, every walk, every discovery of her possible choices feels immediate. Emerson's prose is not about religion or desire, those abstract ideas, but about a woman's burning disbelief in the very structure of her life, and her absolute insistence on sexual passion and freedom." —Susan Straight, bestselling author of Mecca and In the Country of Women
"Thrumming with color and scent, alive with idea and ache, Olive Days is keenly observed, beautifully written, propulsive, poignant, and profound." —Moriel Rothman-Zecher, author of Before All the World and Sadness is a White Bird
"Olive Days is a lush and intoxicating Los Angeles daydream. Emerson is the real deal—a stylist whose every sentence captures how it feels to be alive, to be in love, to live in the aching distance between who you want to be and who you are." —Ruth Madievsky, author of All-Night Pharmacy
"Olive Days is a story of loneliness and the forbidden lusts that simmer beneath the rigid traditions of Orthodox Judaism. Emerson crafts a haunting portrait of Rina, a woman plunged into quiet fury after her husband pressures her into a night of wife swapping. Through Rina's smoldering point of view we see a woman's heart divided between desire and duty, alienation and longing, in a heartbreaking novel that will resonate with anyone who has ever wished to be known." —Elizabeth Gonzalez James, author of The Bullet Swallower
"This is a stunning achievement from a fiercely talented debut novelist. Jessica’s voice is fresh, daring, and surprising. Olive Days is a book you cannot put down, and a story that will continue to grip you, long after you’ve finished reading." —Rabbi Sharon Brous
