Sisters of Fortune - by Esther Chehebar Hardcover

About the Book

"The Cohen sisters are at a crossroads. Nina, the eldest, is disillusioned with the tight-knight community she and her sisters were raised in. Fortune, the middle sister, is the center of attention as her wedding approaches, bringing with it pressures and hopes for the future. Lucy, the youngest, is a senior at her yeshiva high school, and recently started sneaking around with a mysterious older bachelor. As Fortune gets closer and closer to standing below the chuppah, the three sisters find themselves in a tug of war between tradition and modernity, balancing what their community wants against what they want for themselves. Overshadowing all of this are Sally, their overprotective mother, and Sitto, their charismatic grandmother who fled Syria in 1992, both of whom are as concerned about what everyone is eating and how good the food tastes, as they are about marital bliss. Sisters of Fortune offers a unique perspective into what it's like to be a young woman coming of age in a cloistered, tightly bound community, while still asking universal questions: What do we dream for ourselves? What do we dream for our families? And, above all, what are we going to eat for dinner?"--

Book Synopsis

"Syrian Jewish culture gets the Jane Austen treatment, with sisters Nina, Fortune and Lucy--the rebel, the good girl and the baby of the family, respectively--all on the marriage market. What's Mama Cohen to do? Chehebar's witty debut dives deep into Brooklyn's Syrian Jewish community."--People (A Best Book of the Month)

The Cohen sisters are at a crossroads. And not just because the obedient middle sister, Fortune, has secretly started to question her engagement and impending wedding, even as her family scrambles to prepare for the big day. Nina, the rebellious eldest sister, is single at twenty-six (and growing cobwebs by her community's standards) when she runs into an old friend who offers her a chance to choose a different path. Meanwhile, Lucy, the youngest and a senior in high school, has started sneaking around with a charming older bachelor.

As Fortune inches ever closer to the chuppah, the sisters find themselves in a tug-of-war between tradition and modernity, reckoning with what their tight-knit community wants for them--and what they want for themselves.

Sisters of Fortune is a story about dating, ambition, and coming-of-age within an immigrant community whose affection is endearing, maddening, and never boring. This novel explores the roots that entwine our lives with the ones who love us best, the dreams we hold for our daughters, and the winding paths we take to our own happy endings.

Review Quotes

"In this debut, Esther Chehebar captures the Syrian Jewish way of life with nuance, affection and humor, illuminating a community grounded in history and culture even as the scaffolding that holds that life in place begins to shift."--Hadassah Magazine

"Syrian Jewish culture gets the Jane Austen treatment, with sisters Nina, Fortune and Lucy--the rebel, the good girl and the baby of the family, respectively--all on the marriage market. What's Mama Cohen to do? Chehebar's witty debut dives deep into Brooklyn's Syrian Jewish community."--People

"Sisters of Fortune is perfect for book clubs since readers can debate the different choices the women make. . . . Readers will come to care for each of these sisters."--Jewish Federation of Greater Binghamton's The Reporter

"Sisters of Fortune captures a slice of life of the Syrian Jewish community from food, to lifecycle events, to the joys of birth and the devastation of death. The love of cooking for those around you, and the love you show to those you care for the most . . . All the while, of course, there is family and communal drama, from small squabbles to who is or isn't going to find a match."--Association of Jewish Libraries News and Reviews

"This book explores the bonds of sisterhood, immigrant identity, and the universal search for self-determination--all served alongside perfectly rolled grape leaves."--SheReads

"Chehebar deftly shifts among the three sisters' perspectives. . . . Although each of them longs for their community's seal of approval, they are also 21st-century young women with their own hopes and ambitions. . . . Chehebar explores these issues with wry humor and compassion."--Shelf Awareness

"A vibrant celebration of identity and the push-pull between heritage and autonomy."--Kirkus Reviews

"An absolute joy of a novel about a most enviable family, this is a book to savor--a feast for the heart and mind. Read it if you yearn to be immersed in matriarchy at its finest."--Elisa Albert, author of Human Blues

"In this savvy and heartwarming debut, three Syrian Jewish sisters in a tight-knit Brooklyn community look for love--and themselves--while navigating the dueling pulls of tradition and modernity."--Stephanie Butnick, founder of GOLDA

"Perceptive and entertaining, Sisters of Fortune is a bold debut novel. Never before have readers seen three generations of Syrian Jewish women rolling yebra (grape leaves) side by side in the kitchen, passing down community values and female expectations like just another treasured family recipe."--Corie Adjmi, author of The Marriage Box

"A warm, wise and utterly enjoyable novel that invites us into the lives of three vibrant sisters, one big-hearted family and a fascinating, close-knit community. Sisters of Fortune is a real delight."--Tova Mirvis, author of Visible City

"In this savvy and heartwarming debut, three Syrian Jewish sisters in a tight-knit Brooklyn community look for love--and themselves--while navigating the dueling pulls of tradition and modernity."--Stephanie Butnick, founder of GOLDA

"Esther Chehebar is a Jewish Jane Austen exploring the universal themes of sisterhood, advantageous marriage, and community dynamics."--Jill Kargman, creator of Odd Mom Out

"Esther Chehebar writes with an open heart and a curiosity about seeing where she is from--a place so much bigger than her--that can help us access the same kind of courage to narrate and have fun with our own stories."--Leandra Medine, author of Man Repeller

"Sisters of Fortune is part coming-of-age story, part slice-of-life exploration of conservative Syrian Jewish life in America. This debut is fun and engaging, featuring alternating points of view among the sisters."--Booklist 

About the Author

Esther Chehebar is a contributing writer at Tablet magazine, where she covers Sephardic Jewish tradition and community, and a member of Sephardic Bikur Holim, a non-profit supporting the growing Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn. She holds an MFA from the New School and has had her work featured in Glamour and Man Repeller. Chehebar's first book, I Share My Name, was an illustrated children's book explaining the Sephardic tradition of naming children for their grandparents. She lives in New York with her husband, their kids, their Ori-Pei named Jude, and a couple of fish. This is her debut novel.