Podcasts about Tova Mirvis

Tova Mirvis is the author of the memoir The Book of Separation as well as three novels, Visible City, The Outside World and The Ladies Auxiliary, a national bestseller. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe Magazine and Real Simple, and her fiction has been broadcast on NPR. She lives in Newton, MA with her family. Her most recent novel is We Would Never. Tova joins Barbara DeMarco-Barrett to talk about how the idea for her new book came from a case she followed in the media, the challenges of writing her first thriller, turning real people into fictional characters, writing multiple point of views, pacing, at what point she thinks about the reader, and more. For more information on Writers on Writing and to become a supporter, visit our Patreon page. For a one-time donation, visit Ko-fi. You can find hundreds of past interviews on our website. You'll help out the show and indie bookstores by buying books at our bookstore on bookshop.org. It's stocked with titles by our guest authors, as well as our personal favorites. And on Spotify, you'll find an album's worth of typewriter music like what you hear on the show. Look for the artist, Just My Type. Email the show at writersonwritingpodcast@gmail.com. We love to hear from our listeners! (Recorded on February 28, 2025) Host: Barbara DeMarco-BarrettHost: Marrie StoneMusic: Travis Barrett (Stream his music on Spotify, Apple Music, Etc.)

Tova Mirvis, a native of Memphis, is an author, who has previously joined us on Book Talk to speak about her memoir The Book of Separation as well as her novels, Visible City and The Outside World. Today, we'll discuss her latest novel, We Would Never, published by Simon and Schuster.  

Bestselling author Tova Mirvis joins Zibby to discuss WE WOULD NEVER, a thrillingly plotted, provocative, fever dream of a novel about a close-knit Florida family whose all-consuming love for each other turns sinister. Tova shares how her own divorce and Orthodox Jewish upbringing influenced this story—though she emphasizes that the plot is fictional! She also delves into complex family dynamics (from overbearing mothers to custody disputes to fears of empty-nesting) and the lengths parents will go to protect their children.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4bn20MgShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens! Now there's more! Subscribe to Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books on Acast+ and get ad-free episodes. https://plus.acast.com/s/moms-dont-have-time-to-read-books. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beth Golay recently spoke with Tova Mirvis about her novel "We Would Never," inspired by the discovery of a true crime story.

After her husband Jonah asks for a divorce, Hailey Gelman's difficult life in Binghamton turns into six weeks of litigation and custody battles in Tova Mirvis's new novel, We Would Never (Avid Reader Press 2025). After she files a motion to move with their young daughter to Florida, the tension escalates, and Jonah is suddenly murdered. Hailey is the prime suspect. Hailey's father, who had to rebuild his life after his academic advisor took credit for his work is dying of Parkinsons; her mother, whose reason for living is to make sure her family is safe, makes reckless decisions, her brother Nate, the troublemaker who managed to graduate from medical school and works in his father's dermatology practice. tries to protect his sister, and her other brother Adam, can't stand their mother's interference, moves to Maine, and refuses to participate in family events of any kind. Based on a true story, We Would Never is about family loyalty, the damage of divorce, and the fierceness of parents' love for their children. Tova Mirvis grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and attended Columbia College in New York City, followed by the Columbia School of the Arts where she received an MFA and was a teaching fellow. Her first novel The Ladies Auxiliary, which was set in the Memphis Jewish community, was a national bestseller and an Independent Bookstore bestseller. She is also the author of the novels The Outside World and Visible City. Her memoir The Book of Separation stemmed from an essay she wrote for the New York Times “Private Lives” column and was a New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice and excerpted in the New York Times Modern Love Column. She has been a visiting scholar at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute at Brandeis University and a fellow at the Brandeis Women's Studies Research Center. Her essays have appeared in many publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe Magazine, Real Simple, and Psychology Today, and her fiction has been broadcast on NPR. She lives in Newton, MA with her family where she is working on a new novel. When she is not writing, she enjoys running, learning to play tennis and talking to her dog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

After her husband Jonah asks for a divorce, Hailey Gelman's difficult life in Binghamton turns into six weeks of litigation and custody battles in Tova Mirvis's new novel, We Would Never (Avid Reader Press 2025). After she files a motion to move with their young daughter to Florida, the tension escalates, and Jonah is suddenly murdered. Hailey is the prime suspect. Hailey's father, who had to rebuild his life after his academic advisor took credit for his work is dying of Parkinsons; her mother, whose reason for living is to make sure her family is safe, makes reckless decisions, her brother Nate, the troublemaker who managed to graduate from medical school and works in his father's dermatology practice. tries to protect his sister, and her other brother Adam, can't stand their mother's interference, moves to Maine, and refuses to participate in family events of any kind. Based on a true story, We Would Never is about family loyalty, the damage of divorce, and the fierceness of parents' love for their children. Tova Mirvis grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and attended Columbia College in New York City, followed by the Columbia School of the Arts where she received an MFA and was a teaching fellow. Her first novel The Ladies Auxiliary, which was set in the Memphis Jewish community, was a national bestseller and an Independent Bookstore bestseller. She is also the author of the novels The Outside World and Visible City. Her memoir The Book of Separation stemmed from an essay she wrote for the New York Times “Private Lives” column and was a New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice and excerpted in the New York Times Modern Love Column. She has been a visiting scholar at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute at Brandeis University and a fellow at the Brandeis Women's Studies Research Center. Her essays have appeared in many publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe Magazine, Real Simple, and Psychology Today, and her fiction has been broadcast on NPR. She lives in Newton, MA with her family where she is working on a new novel. When she is not writing, she enjoys running, learning to play tennis and talking to her dog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

This week on From the Front Porch, it's another New Release Rundown! Annie, Erin, and Olivia are sharing the November releases they're excited about to help you build your TBR. When you purchase or preorder any of the books they talk about, enter the code NEWRELEASEPLEASE at checkout for 10% off your order! To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search “Episode 515”), or download and shop on The Bookshelf's official app: Annie's books: The Snowbirds by Christina Clancy (2/4) We Would Never by Tova Mirvis (2/11) Back After This by Linda Holmes (2/25) Olivia's books: The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune (2/4) You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego (2/11) The Enemy's Daughter by Anne Blankman (2/18) Erin's books: The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict (2/11) The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker (2/25) Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister (2/25) From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf's daily happenings on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, and all the books from today's episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.  A full transcript of today's episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.  This week, Annie is reading Isola by Allegra Goodman.  Olivia is reading The Enemy's Daughter by Anne Blankman.  Erin is reading Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson. If you liked what you heard in today's episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also support us on Patreon, where you can access bonus content, monthly live Porch Visits with Annie, our monthly live Patreon Book Club with Bookshelf staffers, Conquer a Classic episodes with Hunter, and more. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We're so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. Our Executive Producers are...Beth, Stephanie Dean, Linda Lee Drozt, Ashley Ferrell, Wendi Jenkins, Martha, Nicole Marsee, Gene Queens, Cammy Tidwell, Jammie Treadwell, and Amanda Whigham.

This week on From the Front Porch, Annie recaps the books she read and loved in January. You get 10% off your books when you order your January Reading Recap Duo. Each month, we offer a Reading Recap bundle, which features Annie's favorite books she read that month. To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search “Episode 514”), or download and shop on The Bookshelf's official app: The Snowbirds by Christina Clancy (releases 2/4) We Would Never by Tova Mirvis (releases 2/11) Lucky Night by Eliza Kennedy (releases 3/25) Playworld by Adam Ross Back After This by Linda Holmes (releases 2/25) Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld (releases 2/25) Annie's January Reading Recap Duo - $52 The Snowbirds by Christina Clancy (releases 2/4) Playworld by Adam Ross **Please note your January Reading Recap Duo will ship after Tuesday, February 4, when The Snowbirds releases. From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf's daily happenings on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, and all the books from today's episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.  A full transcript of today's episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.  This week, Annie is reading Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. If you liked what you heard in today's episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also support us on Patreon, where you can access bonus content, monthly live Porch Visits with Annie, our monthly live Patreon Book Club with Bookshelf staffers, Conquer a Classic episodes with Hunter, and more. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We're so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. Our Executive Producers are...Beth, Stephanie Dean, Linda Lee Drozt, Ashley Ferrell, Wendi Jenkins, Martha, Nicole Marsee, Gene Queens, Cammy Tidwell, Jammie Treadwell, and Amanda Whigham.

Thanks for listening to Daring to Tell with Michelle Redo--which just won a 2024 Silver for Best Indie Podcast from the Signal Awards!Learn more about Tova Mirvis and all her books at her website... TovaMirvis.comSign up for Michelle Redo's newsletter The Redo at her website... MichelleRedo.comListen to more of Phil Redo's music at his bandcamp page... philredo.bandcamp.com on Spotify or Apple Music.

Tova Mirvis frequently writes characters who are living in Orthodox Jewish communities and struggling with their faith. But in 2017, she turned the page from fiction to memoir, by publishing The Book of Separation: a searing look at her divorce, her exit from the Orthodox community, and her experience navigating the new terrain of single motherhood. She joins us to talk about her spiritual journey, the surprising outreach she's received from ex-Mormons, and the similarities between strict religious communities and cults. About Our Guest: In addition to The Book of Separation, Tova Mirvis is the author of three novels: Visible City , The Outside World and The Ladies Auxiliary, which was a national bestseller. Her essays have appeared in various anthologies and newspapers including The New York Times Book Review, The Boston Globe Magazine, Commentary, Good Housekeeping and Poets and Writers, and her fiction has been broadcast on NPR. Learn more on her official site.Support the ALBC Pod: We've made a link where you can support A Little Bit Culty with a one-time, weekly, or monthly contribution. Your support will be repaid in cosmic love and light. To make a contribution, smash this link.Check out our Linktree to sign up for our mailing list. We've got some fun things coming your way soon. It rhymes with “t-shirts.” Okay, it's t-shirts.CREDITS: Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producers: Will Retherford & Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinHear Ye, Hear Ye: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

00:00 Conservatives and the Covid-19 response, https://quillette.com/2020/07/23/why-have-so-many-american-conservatives-embraced-covid-19-pseudoscience/ 06:00 Dooovid joins 08:00 IS MODERN ORTHODOXY MOVING TOWARDS AN ACCEPTANCE OF BIBLICAL CRITICISM? https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=133362 1:52:00 The growth of Ocker down under 2:10:00 Tova Mirvis, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tova_Mirvis 2:12:50 Dennis Prager talks to Ben Shapiro 2:15:30 Heather MacDonald on the crime surge, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT0gEbQUQt8 2:41:30 Tucker Carlson on the attack on America https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/four-months-unprecedented-government-malfeasance/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizrachi https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/332555/jewish/Maimonides-13-Principles-of-Faith.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_David_Sassoon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maimonides https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_B._Shapiro Polls, questions, super chats: https://entropystream.live/app/lukeford Bitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/lukeford/ Periscope: https://www.pscp.tv/lukeford/1nAJEAnVRDaJL Soundcloud MP3s: https://soundcloud.com/luke-ford-666431593 Code of Conduct: https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=125692 https://www.patreon.com/lukeford http://lukeford.net Email me: lukeisback@gmail.com or DM me on Twitter.com/lukeford Support the show | https://www.streamlabs.com/lukeford, https://patreon.com/lukeford, https://PayPal.Me/lukeisback Facebook: http://facebook.com/lukecford Book an online Alexander Technique lesson with Luke: https://alexander90210.com Feel free to clip my videos. It's nice when you link back to the original.

Imagine turning 40 and being afraid to drive on the highway. Being afraid of the freedom that might bring. Afraid of breaking with a strict religious tradition in which you grew up. Tova Mirvis did just that. Married at 22 to a man she dated for just 12 weeks, Mirvis knew she risked leaving everything behind—including her identity as a mother and a community member-- if she walked away from her tightly knit Orthodox jewish community. But she did it and wrote the book, “The Book of Separation” (https://amzn.to/2C3yGuE).  Mirvis explains to CoveyClub founder Lesley Jane Seymour:  “What happens when you reach a change moment—it feels like you’re jumping off a skyscraper,” she says. 

Author, Tova Mirvis reads from her memoir, The Book of Separation, which describes a woman who leaves her Orthodox Jewish faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world. She is the author of three novels and her essays have appeared in various anthologies and newspapers. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 34065]

Author, Tova Mirvis reads from her memoir, The Book of Separation, which describes a woman who leaves her Orthodox Jewish faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world. She is the author of three novels and her essays have appeared in various anthologies and newspapers. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 34065]

Author, Tova Mirvis reads from her memoir, The Book of Separation, which describes a woman who leaves her Orthodox Jewish faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world. She is the author of three novels and her essays have appeared in various anthologies and newspapers. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 34065]

Author, Tova Mirvis reads from her memoir, The Book of Separation, which describes a woman who leaves her Orthodox Jewish faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world. She is the author of three novels and her essays have appeared in various anthologies and newspapers. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 34065]

Author, Tova Mirvis reads from her memoir, The Book of Separation, which describes a woman who leaves her Orthodox Jewish faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world. She is the author of three novels and her essays have appeared in various anthologies and newspapers. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 34065]

Author, Tova Mirvis reads from her memoir, The Book of Separation, which describes a woman who leaves her Orthodox Jewish faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world. She is the author of three novels and her essays have appeared in various anthologies and newspapers. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 34065]

Author, Tova Mirvis reads from her memoir, The Book of Separation, which describes a woman who leaves her Orthodox Jewish faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world. She is the author of three novels and her essays have appeared in various anthologies and newspapers. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 34065]

Tova Mirvis, the author of A Book of Separation: A Memoir, made the choice to both divorce and to leave her orthodox faith and her community. Raised in an orthodox Jewish community in Memphis, Tennessee she grew up feeling like there was a set path for her; one that her family was part of and one that was always expected would be her own. She knew from a young age that to stay inside a religious community meant she’d always have this sense of community and identity of who she was supposed to be in the world. Trying very hard to be that person, she married at a young age, had children, and was part of a very religious community where every choice was mapped out for her. Yet, she had a quiet whisper of doubt for many years — Is this what you really believe? Is this who you really are? Afraid of what might happen if she let herself answer those hard questions, and how she’d change, she didn’t. Until she did. She experienced a growing awareness that who she was on the outside didn’t match who she was on the inside and it became impossible for her to navigate the feeling that she was two separate people She wasn’t living a life she believed and it was inconsistent with who she thought she was. And so, she made a change to live differently than she had before. During our conversation she discusses how whenever one of us in a family dynamic changes, it changes everyone around us. She couldn’t stay a person who wasn’t going to think about hard questions and pretend so she could belong. Part of making a change is accepting that pain and responsibility, and feeling the sadness and sometimes the guilt that goes along with knowing that you’re the one who changed something. Would we ever want our children to not change and to feel like they are incapable of change? Choosing to change affects those around us, but is that a bad thing? Listen to Tova’s wisdom about change, identity and belonging. The common thread amongst those who’ve reached out to her, from many religious backgrounds and communities, is they weren’t living the life they felt they were meant to. 

Tova Mirvis separates herself from family and friends to forge her own path.

Is Vice President Mike Pence delusional when he thinks Jesus is talking to him? Is a Georgia senator's proposed law (in response to FFRF victories) to allow public school teachers to pray with students constitutional? After discussing the recent Florida shooting, FFRF’s "In Science We Trust" billboard in Atlanta, and hearing a child prompted by parents to call FFRF to tell us we are "going to hell," we talk with novelist Tova Mirvis, whose newest book, The Book of Separation, is a moving memoir about divorcing not only her husband, but her entire Orthodox Jewish faith.

We are proud to release our live interview held on February 6, 2018 at the Salt Lake City Community of Christ with Tova Mirvis—a past guest on Mormon Stories.  For this interview, we relied on the excellent questions from our live audience to drive the conversation.  We explore so many of the parallels between the faith transition experiences in Orthodox Judaism and Mormonism, and talk some more about her writing The Book of Separation and how it has touched many of our listeners since tuning into her Mormon Stories episode.

We are proud to release our live interview held on February 6, 2018 at the Salt Lake City Community of Christ with Tova Mirvis—a past guest on Mormon Stories.  For this interview, we relied on the excellent questions from our live audience to drive the conversation.  We explore so many of the parallels between the faith transition experiences in Orthodox Judaism and Mormonism, and talk some more about her writing The Book of Separation and how it has touched many of our listeners since tuning into her Mormon Stories episode.

Our guest this week is Tova Mirvis, whose memoir, The Book of Separation, tells the story of her decision to leave Modern Orthodox Judaism, a world she recreated vividly for readers in the novels Visible City, The Outside World, and The Ladies Auxiliary. Our next live show is Wednesday, March 21 at the JCC Manhattan. Tickets here. Want more Unorthodox in your life? Join our Facebook group to chat with the hosts and see what happens behind-the-scenes! We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at Unorthodox@tabletmag.com or leave a message at our new listener line: 914-570-4869. We may share your note on the air. Sign up for our newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author, Tova Mirvis, discusses her book, The Book of Separation, which describes a woman who leaves her Orthodox Jewish faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world. She is the author of three novels and her essays have appeared in various anthologies and newspapers. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 33053]

Author, Tova Mirvis, discusses her book, The Book of Separation, which describes a woman who leaves her Orthodox Jewish faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world. She is the author of three novels and her essays have appeared in various anthologies and newspapers. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 33053]

Author, Tova Mirvis, discusses her book, The Book of Separation, which describes a woman who leaves her Orthodox Jewish faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world. She is the author of three novels and her essays have appeared in various anthologies and newspapers. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 33053]

Author, Tova Mirvis, discusses her book, The Book of Separation, which describes a woman who leaves her Orthodox Jewish faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world. She is the author of three novels and her essays have appeared in various anthologies and newspapers. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 33053]

Author, Tova Mirvis, discusses her book, The Book of Separation, which describes a woman who leaves her Orthodox Jewish faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world. She is the author of three novels and her essays have appeared in various anthologies and newspapers. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 33053]

Author, Tova Mirvis, discusses her book, The Book of Separation, which describes a woman who leaves her Orthodox Jewish faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world. She is the author of three novels and her essays have appeared in various anthologies and newspapers. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 33053]

Author, Tova Mirvis, discusses her book, The Book of Separation, which describes a woman who leaves her Orthodox Jewish faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world. She is the author of three novels and her essays have appeared in various anthologies and newspapers. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 33053]

Tova describes her background in Judaism

Tova details the practices of her faith that troubled her and led to her faith crisis

Tova describes how she learned to tell her own story

We have our first double author interview for you today! Rachel Kadish, author of The Weight of Ink, and Tova Mirvis, author of The Book of Separation, join us to chat about their new books. You can find the complete version of the show notes on our website. You can find all of the books featured in this podcast in the Reading Women Store! And be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to be sure you don’t miss the latest news, reviews, and fur child photos.   Support us on Patreon and get insider goodies!   CONTACT   Questions? Comments? Email us hello@readingwomenpodcast.com.   SOCIAL MEDIA   Reading Women Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website   Autumn Twitter | Instagram | Website   Kendra Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Website   Music “Stickybee” by Josh Woodard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tova Mirvis, author of the forthcoming memoir The Book of Separation (September 2017), talks with Hannah Harlow, Assistant Director of Marketing at HMH. The Book of Separation is the memoir of a woman who leaves her faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world. “To say that reading The Book of Separation made me feel less alone in the world would be a vast understatement. Tova Mirvis perfectly, beautifully, unsettlingly captures the particular horror—existential and otherwise—of dismantling a long marriage and starting one’s life anew. This is a heartbreaking, breathtaking, life-altering book.”—Joanna Rakoff, author of My Salinger Year “In The Book of Separation, Tova Mirvis brings us into her heart-wrenching decision to leave her marriage and the world of Orthodox Judaism behind. Her exploration of faith and self are truly miraculous. This book is a wonder!”—Ann Hood, author of The Book that Matters Most

An interview with Tova Mirvis, author of Visible City. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

Tova Mirvis joins The Virtual Memories Show to talk about her brand-new novel, Visible City and how she learned to act on her unhappiness, as well as the lifelong advice she got from Mary Gordon, the ways that writing a book is like building a stained-glass window, why being an orthodox Jew in Memphis wasn't just like Designing Women with better wigs, and the advantages of being offline for a week when the New York Times publishes your op-ed about getting divorced. "I set up a scenario where all of my characters were unhappy in one way or another, and they were all watching other people, as opposed to looking inward at their own lives. I didn't know what people do about that. I was writing a realistic novel, but part of me believed that no one actually acts on their unhappiness." We also talk about how one person's urge to freedom is another person's betrayal, why Visible City took her 10 years to write, what you can discover about yourself in your 40s and what you can leave behind, and the varieties of religious experience (ours, not William James'). "Orthodox Judaism and southern culture meld beautifully. In the south, there's a way we do things and a way we don't do things. And it's the same in orthodox Judaism. They're both very well-structured worlds. I grew up as a sort of cocktail of those two worlds." BONUS! You also get my essay/monologue about Jews & Geordies!