SAND AND STEEL

A woman recounts her return to the United States after nearly two decades in Israel, a decision filled with emotional challenges, in this memoir.

Sasson—when she was only 18 years old—left New York City for Israel and volunteered to serve in that country’s Defense Forces. Of course, she experienced an extraordinary culture shock given the profound social chasm that separated Americans from Israelis: “In Israel, one needs to adjust one’s expectations constantly and adapt to new situations. You have to be amenable, moldable—like sand. So unlike America, where a strong will and firm resolve are prized. Where Israel is sand, America is steel.” She not only adjusted, but also made a home; married an Israeli, Haim; and gave birth to a son, Ivry. Eventually, the author became increasingly disenchanted within a “crumbling kibbutz system,” one she believed had surrendered its socialistic principles and mistreated her husband, who could only find work as a security guard. So they did something radical. They moved to the United States, a painful decision and one that required Sasson to go through yet another process of acclimation, a “reverse culture shock,” after 18 years in Israel. With admirable candor, the author chronicles both the practical and emotional hurdles she had to clear to make that move work, and the longing to return to Israel, which “waxes and wanes” for her as she becomes more settled in her new home in Pittsburgh. Sasson’s account is often stirring, and she intelligently discusses the enormous power exerted by the allure of home. Still, her remembrance can be digressive and meandering, getting bogged down in granular details. For these reasons, the memoir is not likely to appeal to a wide audience.

A frank and thoughtful recollection probably best enjoyed by the author’s family and friends.