with war and with hospitals and their doctors and nurses provide the seeds that grew into the writing of her novel. After graduating from nursing school she practiced internationally for 32 years in various positions in the surgical field and advanced into health care administration. During her career she worked in the Operating Room, Recovery Room, and CCU – each of these arenas provided technical as well as emotional information she is now sharing not only in this, her debut novel, but also in what promises to be a Trilogy.
Michelle’s novel very subtly begins at the end – and it is only after reading the novel that the description of paramedics tending to a critically ill person that we know the stimulus that launches this story. Leigh Stone at age 18 receives a note and a box from her mother who feels compelled to share a few years’ worth of diary-like notes she wrote about Leigh’s conception and a secret that has been withheld. From this point on the book is the story of Sharon Lapidot: ‘It revealed how back in November 1990, on a cold Friday night, on her way to work at a local religious Jewish hospital, she had no reason to think that her life was about to turn upside down.’ We learn from Sharon that ‘I was born a kosher and a graceful Jewish girl in Israel. Still, I was not one of them. I belonged to the other Jews—the secular ones. I had no interest in a religious life and sidestepped the radical Jews—especially those who wrapped themselves with a black capote and put on a Shtreimel, that beaver hat worn by a married Hasidic man.’ Sharon was the house nursing supervisor at Kol Israel Achim, discontent with her steady high security clearance military boyfriend Joel who not only failed to treat her as an equal but also failed to satisfy her sexual needs. Sharon meets a new doctor to the hospital, Dr. Sloan, a six-foot tall well built hunk and chemistry is ignited. This is all takes place during Operation Desert Storm and Israel is bombarded with scud missiles. These are the facts revealed in a mother’s writings for her daughter.
How Leigh comes to deal with this newly discovered secret is the surprising ending of the book.
Michelle Dim-St. Pierre successfully weaves together the spectrum of life in Israel, the conflict and challenges between secular Jews and Hasidic Jews, the influence of wars on a country and relationships. She creates a medical atmosphere that is palpable, a love story that is erotically related, and a main character with great innate human strength of spirit. She brings to life three-dimensional characters who span the spectrum of personal differences and somehow makes every character additive to the plot. A fascinating, sensual read!
Grady Harp,
Top 50 Amazon
Hall of Fame Reviewer
Michelle’s novel very subtly begins at the end – and it is only after reading the novel that the description of paramedics tending to a critically ill person that we know the stimulus that launches this story. Leigh Stone at age 18 receives a note and a box from her mother who feels compelled to share a few years’ worth of diary-like notes she wrote about Leigh’s conception and a secret that has been withheld. From this point on the book is the story of Sharon Lapidot: ‘It revealed how back in November 1990, on a cold Friday night, on her way to work at a local religious Jewish hospital, she had no reason to think that her life was about to turn upside down.’ We learn from Sharon that ‘I was born a kosher and a graceful Jewish girl in Israel. Still, I was not one of them. I belonged to the other Jews—the secular ones. I had no interest in a religious life and sidestepped the radical Jews—especially those who wrapped themselves with a black capote and put on a Shtreimel, that beaver hat worn by a married Hasidic man.’ Sharon was the house nursing supervisor at Kol Israel Achim, discontent with her steady high security clearance military boyfriend Joel who not only failed to treat her as an equal but also failed to satisfy her sexual needs. Sharon meets a new doctor to the hospital, Dr. Sloan, a six-foot tall well built hunk and chemistry is ignited. This is all takes place during Operation Desert Storm and Israel is bombarded with scud missiles. These are the facts revealed in a mother’s writings for her daughter.
How Leigh comes to deal with this newly discovered secret is the surprising ending of the book.
Michelle Dim-St. Pierre successfully weaves together the spectrum of life in Israel, the conflict and challenges between secular Jews and Hasidic Jews, the influence of wars on a country and relationships. She creates a medical atmosphere that is palpable, a love story that is erotically related, and a main character with great innate human strength of spirit. She brings to life three-dimensional characters who span the spectrum of personal differences and somehow makes every character additive to the plot. A fascinating, sensual read!
Grady Harp,
Top 50 Amazon
Hall of Fame Reviewer