3 Grownup Reads
by Jamie L. Watson
The best books will always allow you a little escape or distraction, something else to focus on than the world around
you. These three debut novels, books I read before the pandemic, gave me that escape. I hope they do the same for
you during this challenging time.

‘The Operator’
Nostalgia is one way of escape. In
Gretchen Berg’s “The Operator,”
we go back to a time before social
media, to a time when switchboard
operators had to make every tele-
phone connection. In a small town
where gossip is currency, the tid-
bits overheard by the operators can
change a life. When Vivian Dalton
overhears something about her
own family, it sends her on a jour-
ney of discovery fueled by pettiness
against the owner of the gossip.

There aren’t a lot of characters to root for here, but the depiction
of small-town dynamics is spot on, including provincial newspa-
pers, independent dress shops and the tiniest bit of class warfare.

A subplot about two “lovers” who rob a bank eventually ties into
the whole story, one that will manage to surprise.

‘Saint X’
Alexis Schaitkin’s “Saint X”
is a narrative built on shift-
ing sands less sturdy than any
tropical beach. On a family vaca-
tion to the fictional Caribbean
island of Saint X, 7-year-old
Claire’s older sister disappears
and a few days later is found
dead. The main suspects, two
resort employees, are cleared,
and eventually her death is ruled an accident. The parents push
their grief deep inside, while Claire, now an adult, lives with it
more viscerally, even before a chance meeting with Clive, one of
the suspects, on the streets of New York. Chapters shift back and
forth in time and perspective. A murder mystery on the surface,
this book doesn’t shy away from deep issues of class, race and,
more importantly, how we are all a product of our circumstances.

This emotionally powerful book will stick with you long after the
vacation is over.

‘Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line’
Similar issues of class, gender and religious divisions occur in Deepa Anappara’s “Djinn Patrol on
the Purple Line,” narrated 9-year-old Jai, who fights with his sister and loves police reality shows
in his Indian home city. Jai and his friends, smart girl Pari and a Muslim named Faiz, live in a slum,
and their families work for the “hi-fis” in the gated community nearby. When a friend goes miss-
ing, the children play detective, even as Faiz is convinced the disappearances are the result of
angering djinns. The use of a child narrator is powerful, as we see a multilayered, tragic situation
through the eyes of a naïve, resilient boy. The prejudice toward the Muslim members of the com-
munity, the on-the-take police and the fate of the children are tempered through Jai’s sweet voice
and a little bit of magical realism.

30 Washington FAMILY JUNE 2020



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HOME By Jared Foretek
Staff Writer
t’s Thursday morning and Paul
Werner is sitting inside the Yeshiva
of Greater Washington with the Book
of Esther open. He’s not a student
at the yeshiva but this isn’t a normal
ack when Judy Davis was the young-
is Thursday. The federal government
est of four children growing up in
shut down and employees like Werner
Bakersfi eld, Calif., she swam and played
— who would only say that he works
badminton — but never competitively,
in the executive branch — have been
unless vying against her siblings counts.

furloughed. Th at changed about 13 years ago. “My
For Werner, the shutdown has its up-
his fi rst time competing was the Maryland
sides. He can spend more time with
Senior Olympics,” the 79-year-old says.

family and use an otherwise lazy week-
the at
But Now, having medaled in swimming
day morning to learn Torah.

to and badminton in the 2018 Maryland
end of the day, he wants to get back
Th ey
kitchen at Father McKenna Center.

Senior Olympics, the longtime Rockville Jaron Bourke, left , and Sarinah Kalb work in the Jewish Community Center’s D25 day of
work as soon as possible as the prospect
the Edlavitch DC
resident and member of Tikvat Israel were among 700 volunteers for
of a missed paycheck looms.

Dec. 25. See page 25.

I Photo by Lloyd Wolf
Congregation looks ahead to compet- service on
“I have six children,” he says, “and
set ing in the National Senior Olympics
pay private school tuition.”
her Werner is one of about 400,000
for June in Albuquerque, N.M. —
on my
“non-essential” federal employees
second trip to the nationals. “It’s
furlough as President Donald Trump
hope to bring home a national ribbon
in demands more than $5 billion from
or a medal.” It would be her fi rst
Congress to build a wall on the border
the nationals.

in with Mexico.

Her 2018 Maryland golds were
Re- an-
It appeared that Democrats and
women’s doubles and mixed doubles
Mandelblit has decided to wait to
two By Marcy Oster
would be able to narrowly
badminton; she took silvers in
nounce his decision in the cases known publicans
the avoid the third shutdown of the Trump
50-yard swim events, women’s breast
as 1000, 2000, and 4000 until aft er
ERUSALEM — Israel’s attorney gen-
stroke and freestyle. She’ll compete
eral likely will wait until aft er na-
one See SHUTDOWN, page 13
in those swim events and at least
See ELECTION, page 15
tional elections to announce whether
badminton event.

he will indict Prime Minister Benjamin
Competition is generally stiff er in the Netanyahu in three corruption inves-
age nationals. She will be in an older
but the allegations could be
84, tigations,
bracket than in recent years — 80 to
to the early elections.

central which may work in her favor. “Every
Sources reported to be close to Avichai
Mandelblit told Hebrew media includ-
that ing the KAN national broadcaster
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