Why read A Daughter's Kaddish?

Book cover of A Daughter's Kaddish: My Year of Grief, Devotion, and Healing

Book description

A woman breaks with Jewish tradition to honor her late father in this moving memoir of faith, grief, and transformation.

A Daughter's Kaddish recounts Sarah Birnbach's year-long odyssey to persevere through an unfamiliar world of Jewish prayer. To honor her beloved father, Sarah commits to reciting the Mourner's Kaddish twice…

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Why read it?

1 author picked A Daughter's Kaddish as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Constance Hays Matsumoto

Author

Sarah Birnbach’s beautiful memoir, A Daughter’s Kaddish, is an inspiring story of deep love and respect—of a daughter for her father.

I’m Christian and opened this book with a basic understanding of Judaism. As the story unfolded, I learned the meaning behind unfamiliar Jewish traditions, like the Kaddish. Birnbach writes of her challenging journey to push the boundaries of her own grief and gender biases to tirelessly honor her father and their faith. She writes from the heart with honesty and warmth, her prose is lyrical, and her descriptions imaginative.

As someone who lost her father prematurely, I’ve always wondered…

From Constance's 3 favorite reads in 2023.