DEAREST BEAST

A midwife and a widower fall in love in Victorian London.

Rebecca Adler is well regarded in London’s Jewish community as a midwife and healer: She provides birth control, mixes tonics and medicines, and assists in childbirth. Coming from an Ashkenazi family, though, and having a brusque manner, she’s never felt entirely accepted in the community, where the Sephardim have the most power and esteem—none more so than the wealthy Berab family. Rebecca had a brief sexual encounter with the widowed Roger Berab the previous spring, and when Roger made it clear that it had been a mistake, Rebecca had no choice but to agree. Now, eight months later, Roger’s spoiled daughter accidentally burns down Rebecca’s house, and under Jewish law, he is expected to make the Adler family whole. Roger agrees to pay for the repairs and host Rebecca in his home until everything is fixed. When his wife was alive, Roger’s house was peaceful and calm, but things have devolved since then. His two children bicker and the governesses can’t control them—but Roger thinks his luck is about to change: In exchange for marrying the 19-year-old daughter of another powerful family, he will finally be able to secure a seat on the Commission of Delegates, which represents the entire Jewish community—a longtime goal. Grossman excels at building stories with both heart and chemistry. Once Rebecca moves into Roger’s house, their attraction is undeniable, so they agree to continue their affair until his betrothal contract is signed. Rebecca is a strong, self-assured character, but it’s Roger’s journey that is most poignant. Falling in love with Rebecca helps him reevaluate everything: his goals for the future, his relationships with his children, his ability to choose personal happiness over duty to the community. It’s a powerful exploration of the way people may have to let go of entrenched beliefs about themselves to find love.

A romance that highlights the way love can help people grow and become their best selves.