The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem

2016 | Fiction & Poetry

There was a time when Gabriela Siton's mother was the most beautiful woman in all of Jerusalem, but that isn't a side of her mother that Gabriela has ever known. Since Gabriela can remember, Luna has been cold and distant, and the two have always had a strained relationship. But when tragedy strikes, Gabriela senses there is a lot she doesn't know about her mother. Desperate to understand their relationship, Gabriela pieces together the stories of her family's previous generations, from Great-Grandmother Mercada the renowned healer, to Grandma Rosa who cleaned houses for the English, to Luna who had the nicest legs in Jerusalem. But as Gabriela uncovers buried secrets, she must face a family history far more complex than she'd ever imagined. Will she ever be able to open her heart to both her mother and herself? Spanning decades, The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem paints a dazzling portrait of a family and a young nation as they struggle to find their way even as others try to carve it out for them.

Sarit Yishai-Levi (Author)