Chosen

Another friend in book club recommended The Chosen by Chaim Potok as one of her favorite books, so I borrowed it from her. The book takes place in New York in the 1940s, and Reuven Malther and Danny Saunders became acquainted after an accident at a baseball game. The young men have different upbringings--Danny is the son of a Hasidic rabbi (and is set to take his father's place one day), while Reuven is a Modern Orthodox Jew whose father is a professor. The boys become friends, and the book just follows their friendship over a few years. The book description reads, "The intellectual and spiritual clashes between fathers, between each son and his own father, and between the two young men, provide a unique backdrop for this exploration of fathers, sons, faith, loyalty, and, ultimately, the power of love."

This was a surprisingly engaging book. The book doesn't seem super interesting, but I wanted to keep reading and finished it pretty quickly. I was involved with the characters and their experiences and learned a lot about the different sects in Judaism. (I still was confused about a lot of the details on the sects and history or details regarding Judaism, but it didn't affect my reading of the book.) I thought it was a good read.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)