Hush by Eishes Chayil

This book was recommended to me by a friend. Inside the closed community of Borough Park, where most Chassidim live, the rules of life are very clear, determined by an ancient script written thousands of years before down to the last detail—and abuse has never been a part of it. But when thirteen-year-old Gittel learns of the abuse her best friend has suffered at the hands of her own family member, the adults in her community try to persuade Gittel, and themselves, that nothing happened. Forced to remain silent, Gittel begins to question everything she was raised to believe.A richly detailed and nuanced book, one of both humor and depth, understanding and horror, this story explains a complex world that remains an echo of its past, and illuminates the conflict between yesterday's traditions and today's reality.

The Color of Water by James McBride

    
I decided to read this book because several of the students and teachers at Tallwood said they really loved it. It is a story about a young black man who was raised, along with his eleven siblings, by a mother who was white. The story is told in alternating chapters, one about the young man's life and the next is from the mother about her life. She was raised as an Orthodox Jew in Suffolk, VA and left her family for the glitz of New York. When she married a black man her family disowned her, and she became a devout Christian. This book is a tribute to her from her son. I have found it very interesting both for the fact that the mom was raised Jewish and because they lived in Suffolk. This is a true story about an amazing woman. I hope you will give it a read.