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Nine Folds Make a Paper Swan
Three intertwining voices span the twentieth century to tell the unknown story of the Jews in Ireland. A heartbreaking portrait of what it means to belong, and how storytelling can redeem us all. At the start of the twentieth century, a young girl and her family emigrate from Lithuania in search of a better life in America, only to land on the Emerald Isle instead. In 1958, a mute Jewish boy locked away in a mental institution outside of Dublin forms an unlikely friendship with a man consumed by the story of the love he lost nearly two decades earlier. And in present-day London, an Irish journalist is forced to confront her conflicting notions of identity and family when her Jewish boyfriend asks her to make a true leap of faith. These three arcs, which span generations and intertwine in revelatory ways, come together to tell the haunting story of Ireland’s all-but-forgotten Jewish community. Ruth Gilligan’s beautiful and heartbreaking Nine Folds Make a Paper Swan explores the question of just how far we will go to understand who we really are, and to feel at home in the world.
352 pages, Paperback
First published April 6, 2017
About the author
Ruth Gilligan
9 books102 followersRuth Gilligan is an Irish novelist and journalist now living in the UK, where she works as a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham. She has published 5 novels to date, and was the youngest person ever to reach number one on the Irish bestsellers' list. She contributes regular literary reviews to the Times Literary Supplement, LA Review of Books, Guardian and Irish Independent; she is also an ambassador for the global storytelling charity Narrative 4.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
February 6, 2017
At the turn of the century, when Ruth was eight, her mother, father and older sister emigrated from Lithuania, heading for America and hope of am better life. After a sea journey of many days they arrive, knowing little English, they think they hear the crew yelling New York, but alas they are saying Cork, and instead of America they have arrived in Ireland. In the fifties a young man is institutionalized after he quit speaking at his Bar Mitzvah, and present day a woman's Jewish boyfriend asks her to convert. So three different threads, an though within two long we can see where the second story of the young man intersects with the story of Ruth, for the longest time I couldn't see where the third story did, or why it was even necessary. Brilliant though, when it is revealed, and in fact is rather startling and sad.
The Jewish settlements in Ireland, which I freely admit to knowing nothing about, most making a life in a place where they hadn't intended to be, many wanting to leave but for the present stuck. Ruth though, and I loved her strength and determination, makes the most of what is given her, wanting to make this place her home. We learn a little of the struggles of these early Jews, the discrimination they faced while trying to hold on to their own identity and a little Irish history as well. Her story was by far my favorite, but the young Jewish man in the institution and the legless man who is his roommate, whose story he writes down, was well done as well.
Taken in totality this was an amazing book, told in a clear and concise voice, it leaves an impression. I very much enjoyed this novel and learned some history as well. So glad I decided to try this one and another author to watch for, see what she does next.
ARC from Netgalley.
The Jewish settlements in Ireland, which I freely admit to knowing nothing about, most making a life in a place where they hadn't intended to be, many wanting to leave but for the present stuck. Ruth though, and I loved her strength and determination, makes the most of what is given her, wanting to make this place her home. We learn a little of the struggles of these early Jews, the discrimination they faced while trying to hold on to their own identity and a little Irish history as well. Her story was by far my favorite, but the young Jewish man in the institution and the legless man who is his roommate, whose story he writes down, was well done as well.
Taken in totality this was an amazing book, told in a clear and concise voice, it leaves an impression. I very much enjoyed this novel and learned some history as well. So glad I decided to try this one and another author to watch for, see what she does next.
ARC from Netgalley.
November 7, 2016
Ruth was eight years old. She picked a compass. Her sister Ester was 10, she picked a large Shakespeare book. Their family, from Lithuania, was going to America, and Tateh, their father told the girls they could each take one item - a souvenir from this life to the next.
The year was 1901. Ruth especially was dreaming and imaging New York City, from all the stories she had been told. She couldn't wait to see the skyscrapers, the cabs, the lady in the sky, and peanut vendors on "every single corner".
Uncle Dovid, their mother's brother, was already in America.
It's a Jewish custom to tell stories to children in families, but Austria, ( the girl's mother
was warning her husband to stop with with his story about a trio of women, as she said he would give the girl's nightmares. Tateh protested.....
"eyes vast with confusion, it's suppose to be a metaphor. For family."
One morning Ruth wakes, and something feels wrong -looks wrong- their boat has crashed. They are in Cork, Ireland.
The next story begins in 1958. Shem Sweeney, is eighteen years old at the time when he is sitting on top of a toilet lid writing on a small piece of paper...( he has been strictly forbidden to do any writing whatsoever while under treatment)
"They say masturbation makes you go blind. I was just mute. And what makes that go"
Shem is locked away in a hellhole....( a mental institution run by nuns). The nuns confiscated his kippah the minute he was admitted.
An unusual friendship develops with a man who seems is completely swallowed up by his lost love of years ago.
The last story is present day--2013 -- London about an Irish journalist, Aisling- a Catholic girl, and her boyfriend, who is Jewish. Conflicts arise.
These are connecting stories. Not only are they about identity, belonging, faith, religion, ethics, and humanity, but these stories felt like 'loss' stories which were 'found', to me. They are heartbreaking- funny- tender - simply wonderful.
I'm Jewish. I've read many Jewish stories about arriving on Ellis Island- or stories of Jews in Italy - France -Germany - many about immigration in America, but 'less' stories about the Jewish community in Ireland. And why not? Kudos to Ruth Gilligan.
Ireland has especially been in my heart since two years ago when a UC College dorm collapsed. Irish students were killed and injured. On the one year anniversary of the tragedy-- a half dozen Irish authors traveled to Berkeley to attend- and speak at the Bay Area Book Festival. I saw them all - ( we did a morning silent prayer together for the the Irish students who died) ....It was touching and felt by all in the room.....
and now with THIS LOVELY book.....as author Ruth Gilligan weaved these Jewish- themed historical stories about Jews in Ireland -- I, too, feel a little more connected to
Jews in Ireland.
Ruth Gilligan's writing was fluid as she takes us on a journey into the past and present. When the narrator's and timeframe changes - it all works. Her style of voice changes -- so each of the characters characteristics are unique. Never maudlin, just quietly heartbreaking and heart beautiful.
Thank You Tin House Books, Netgalley, and Ruth Gilligan
The year was 1901. Ruth especially was dreaming and imaging New York City, from all the stories she had been told. She couldn't wait to see the skyscrapers, the cabs, the lady in the sky, and peanut vendors on "every single corner".
Uncle Dovid, their mother's brother, was already in America.
It's a Jewish custom to tell stories to children in families, but Austria, ( the girl's mother
was warning her husband to stop with with his story about a trio of women, as she said he would give the girl's nightmares. Tateh protested.....
"eyes vast with confusion, it's suppose to be a metaphor. For family."
One morning Ruth wakes, and something feels wrong -looks wrong- their boat has crashed. They are in Cork, Ireland.
The next story begins in 1958. Shem Sweeney, is eighteen years old at the time when he is sitting on top of a toilet lid writing on a small piece of paper...( he has been strictly forbidden to do any writing whatsoever while under treatment)
"They say masturbation makes you go blind. I was just mute. And what makes that go"
Shem is locked away in a hellhole....( a mental institution run by nuns). The nuns confiscated his kippah the minute he was admitted.
An unusual friendship develops with a man who seems is completely swallowed up by his lost love of years ago.
The last story is present day--2013 -- London about an Irish journalist, Aisling- a Catholic girl, and her boyfriend, who is Jewish. Conflicts arise.
These are connecting stories. Not only are they about identity, belonging, faith, religion, ethics, and humanity, but these stories felt like 'loss' stories which were 'found', to me. They are heartbreaking- funny- tender - simply wonderful.
I'm Jewish. I've read many Jewish stories about arriving on Ellis Island- or stories of Jews in Italy - France -Germany - many about immigration in America, but 'less' stories about the Jewish community in Ireland. And why not? Kudos to Ruth Gilligan.
Ireland has especially been in my heart since two years ago when a UC College dorm collapsed. Irish students were killed and injured. On the one year anniversary of the tragedy-- a half dozen Irish authors traveled to Berkeley to attend- and speak at the Bay Area Book Festival. I saw them all - ( we did a morning silent prayer together for the the Irish students who died) ....It was touching and felt by all in the room.....
and now with THIS LOVELY book.....as author Ruth Gilligan weaved these Jewish- themed historical stories about Jews in Ireland -- I, too, feel a little more connected to
Jews in Ireland.
Ruth Gilligan's writing was fluid as she takes us on a journey into the past and present. When the narrator's and timeframe changes - it all works. Her style of voice changes -- so each of the characters characteristics are unique. Never maudlin, just quietly heartbreaking and heart beautiful.
Thank You Tin House Books, Netgalley, and Ruth Gilligan
August 12, 2017
3.5 stars
November 15, 2016
The vast cultural differences between the landed Irish and the immigrant Jews who come to settle in the country, the issues of acceptance and the grappling with a unique sense of identity are told through the stories of three individuals, in different time periods throughout Ireland's turbulent history in Nine Folds Make a Paper Swan. Ruth Gilligan has created fiction redolent with Gaelic fables, Irish ideals and a plethora of very interesting Irish history.
First on the scene is the Latvian family whose ship is grounded at Cork, rather than America, in 1901, and follows Ruth, their younger daughter. Then we are introduced to Shem, in 1958, who has become an elective mute rather than speak against his mother, whom he believes has done something terrible. His parents place him in a dismal Catholic psychiatric facility, where he stays for life. Lastly, Aisling is an Irish Catholic girl living in London, in love with Jewish Noah, who wants her to convert so they can be married. In oblique ways, their stories intercept; they all share a piercing beauty and sense of loss. Each in their way, is a story of sacrifice, of what it means to be Jewish and how that has transformed their lives.
"...a Chosen people... the “Choosing People,” since it is in fact they who decide to respond to God’s requests, they who take the leap."
Noah folds paper into origami swans for Aisling... Nine folds to convert paper to beauty; a group of swans - if she doesn't join Noah, "a lament of swans"? Choices.
A lovely, thoughtful story to consider and enjoy.
ARC from NetGalley; Expected publication: January 24th 2017 by Tin House Books
First on the scene is the Latvian family whose ship is grounded at Cork, rather than America, in 1901, and follows Ruth, their younger daughter. Then we are introduced to Shem, in 1958, who has become an elective mute rather than speak against his mother, whom he believes has done something terrible. His parents place him in a dismal Catholic psychiatric facility, where he stays for life. Lastly, Aisling is an Irish Catholic girl living in London, in love with Jewish Noah, who wants her to convert so they can be married. In oblique ways, their stories intercept; they all share a piercing beauty and sense of loss. Each in their way, is a story of sacrifice, of what it means to be Jewish and how that has transformed their lives.
"...a Chosen people... the “Choosing People,” since it is in fact they who decide to respond to God’s requests, they who take the leap."
Noah folds paper into origami swans for Aisling... Nine folds to convert paper to beauty; a group of swans - if she doesn't join Noah, "a lament of swans"? Choices.
A lovely, thoughtful story to consider and enjoy.
ARC from NetGalley; Expected publication: January 24th 2017 by Tin House Books
July 11, 2017
This is a feast of wordplay and repeating images that questions family, language, identity, and belonging. Gilligan uses three protagonists (Ruth, Shem, and Aisling) to examine the experience of Jewish communities in Ireland over the last century, and all three stories weave together in surprising and impressive ways. I will say that although this was a really engaging read, it wasn't a page-turner - it offers beautiful language and character portraits, but no narrative momentum. And I thought Aisling's story had less grace and subtlety than the other two. But overall, I highly, highly recommend this gorgeous book.
April 28, 2017
What a beautiful book, and a wonderful change of pace from what other books I've been reading recently. At the beginning, I was slightly confused, not yet able to see how these three separate stories would intertwine and connect: Ruth migrating to Ireland in the early 20th century, Shem, a young Jewish man sent to an asylum for being mute, and, finally, Aisling, an Irish emigrant to modern-day London. The end, however, left me utterly overwhelmed, as Gilligan's overriding plan became clear. Three different lives spanning multiple generations are linked together on multiple levels as explorations of both Jewish and Irish cultures equally, and dealing with issues surrounding identity, belonging, family and religious intolerance. Each story was fantastic on its own, moving due to the hardships and choices faced by the protagonists, and impressive in terms of character growth. Together the stories become something even more special and satisfying, when, at the book's end, the puzzle comes together and the whole picture is revealed. A thoughtful and poignant novel, and one that I believe will remain memorable.
Read
February 4, 2017Three intertwining stories revolving around the little-known history of the Jewish community in Ireland in the twentieth century. A young girl and her family leave Lithuania for America, but wind up in Ireland instead; a young boy in an institution befriends a man still mourning the loss of his true love two decades later; and an Irish journalist must confront her past when her Jewish boyfriend asks her to take a leap of faith. These heartbreaking, moving tales combine to make a rich novel that examines what it means to belong.
Backlist bump: The History of Love by Nicola Krauss
Tune in to our weekly podcast dedicated to all things new books, All The Books: http://bookriot.com/listen/shows/allt...
Backlist bump: The History of Love by Nicola Krauss
Tune in to our weekly podcast dedicated to all things new books, All The Books: http://bookriot.com/listen/shows/allt...
April 16, 2021
My full non-review can be found here https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2021/04/1...
Okay, so I didn't actually finish reading this book. You see, I really wanted to like this book, because I think that Gillian is a talented writer. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish reading this book. On the plus side, the contemporary parts of this book were very interesting, if not compelling. Aisling's slow discovery of the Jewish world, while fighting the urge to get more committed to it was very nicely done. However, the historical parts put me off most of the time. I didn't understand the characters - either their language, or their motivations. I realize that had I finished this book, some of these questions might have been answered, but I just couldn't get past the fact that I found myself wanting to skip over large chunks of the narrative.
I think the problem was that Gillian's inexperience made her try a bit too hard to impress the Jewish and Irish aspects of this book. I've read quite a few books by Irish authors, and I've never felt like I was overwhelmed with jargon and slang, some of which I didn't understand. Unfortunately, these interjections came far too often, and they were jarring, to say the least. Certainly, her editor should have realized this, and toned it down - unless that person too was worried that the book wouldn't sound either Jewish or Irish enough for the American public.
For me, the heavy use of Irish and Yiddish slang words feels pretentious. More importantly, if your story doesn't sound Irish or Jewish enough so that you have to throw these in at every turn, then maybe you've not chosen the right subject matter.
I might have continued on, doing my best to ignore this, but the final death knell for me came when she broke my #1 cardinal rule of writing Jewish characters - a glaring mistake on a simple point of Judaism. I am willing to forgive a whole lot, but when someone describes a strict Jewish household having lamb with a side dish of potatoes, dripping with butter in the same meal (i.e., she mixed milk and meat, and it is the most basic of all things that Jewish dietary laws forbid), that's a bridge too far. No one who goes to the amount of trouble she describes in this book to get their house Kosher and ready for Passover, would ever in their right mind put butter on potatoes for a meat meal.
If any of this can be fixed before publication, I would be thrilled to read a new version of this book.
Okay, so I didn't actually finish reading this book. You see, I really wanted to like this book, because I think that Gillian is a talented writer. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish reading this book. On the plus side, the contemporary parts of this book were very interesting, if not compelling. Aisling's slow discovery of the Jewish world, while fighting the urge to get more committed to it was very nicely done. However, the historical parts put me off most of the time. I didn't understand the characters - either their language, or their motivations. I realize that had I finished this book, some of these questions might have been answered, but I just couldn't get past the fact that I found myself wanting to skip over large chunks of the narrative.
I think the problem was that Gillian's inexperience made her try a bit too hard to impress the Jewish and Irish aspects of this book. I've read quite a few books by Irish authors, and I've never felt like I was overwhelmed with jargon and slang, some of which I didn't understand. Unfortunately, these interjections came far too often, and they were jarring, to say the least. Certainly, her editor should have realized this, and toned it down - unless that person too was worried that the book wouldn't sound either Jewish or Irish enough for the American public.
For me, the heavy use of Irish and Yiddish slang words feels pretentious. More importantly, if your story doesn't sound Irish or Jewish enough so that you have to throw these in at every turn, then maybe you've not chosen the right subject matter.
I might have continued on, doing my best to ignore this, but the final death knell for me came when she broke my #1 cardinal rule of writing Jewish characters - a glaring mistake on a simple point of Judaism. I am willing to forgive a whole lot, but when someone describes a strict Jewish household having lamb with a side dish of potatoes, dripping with butter in the same meal (i.e., she mixed milk and meat, and it is the most basic of all things that Jewish dietary laws forbid), that's a bridge too far. No one who goes to the amount of trouble she describes in this book to get their house Kosher and ready for Passover, would ever in their right mind put butter on potatoes for a meat meal.
If any of this can be fixed before publication, I would be thrilled to read a new version of this book.
January 5, 2017
A beautiful book that examines a part of history that has been, for the most part, overlooked. Stunning writing combined with complex, amazing characters join together to make this one of my most-loved books of 2016.
December 29, 2020
Three stories intertwine in this book, a worthy finale of this reading year.
First, there is the story of Ruth, which spans over the course of several decades. When Ruth is only eight, her family decides to emigrate to America to escape the mounting antisemitism in their homeland, part of the Russian Empire. A ship lands them in Ireland, the whole family believing that they have made it to New York. Not everyone in the family is ready to accept the new reality, but Ruth is determined to make Ireland her home. Throughout her life, the events generate tension between her Jewish identity and her sense of belonging to Ireland.
The second story takes place over the course of several months. Shem is a young Jewish boy left in a mental ward in 1958, after he voluntarily became mute to protect an awful secret. His love for writing will be the linking element between himself and an old and paralyzed man, who has a story to tell.
The third line of the story takes place during a few days at the end of 2013 between London and Dublin, where Aisling, an Irish Catholic, is going through a critical point in her relationship with her Jewish boyfriend.
The interconnections between these 3 seemingly unrelated stories become clear in unexpected ways, creating an emotional map of the experience of the Jewish community in Ireland from the beginning of the twentieth century until our days. The writing is beautiful and evocative and rich in symbolism, which allows delving deeper into difficult themes without lengthy explanations.
Nine Folds Make a Paper Swan is a story about identity, difficult choices, about the meanings we give to roots, family, legacy and the outcomes of chance. While it did open my eyes on a piece of history I knew nothing about, it also has a universal theme: from my perspective it is, more than anything else, a tale about the power of words: written, spoken, remembered, and the devastating effects of words untold.
First, there is the story of Ruth, which spans over the course of several decades. When Ruth is only eight, her family decides to emigrate to America to escape the mounting antisemitism in their homeland, part of the Russian Empire. A ship lands them in Ireland, the whole family believing that they have made it to New York. Not everyone in the family is ready to accept the new reality, but Ruth is determined to make Ireland her home. Throughout her life, the events generate tension between her Jewish identity and her sense of belonging to Ireland.
The second story takes place over the course of several months. Shem is a young Jewish boy left in a mental ward in 1958, after he voluntarily became mute to protect an awful secret. His love for writing will be the linking element between himself and an old and paralyzed man, who has a story to tell.
The third line of the story takes place during a few days at the end of 2013 between London and Dublin, where Aisling, an Irish Catholic, is going through a critical point in her relationship with her Jewish boyfriend.
The interconnections between these 3 seemingly unrelated stories become clear in unexpected ways, creating an emotional map of the experience of the Jewish community in Ireland from the beginning of the twentieth century until our days. The writing is beautiful and evocative and rich in symbolism, which allows delving deeper into difficult themes without lengthy explanations.
Nine Folds Make a Paper Swan is a story about identity, difficult choices, about the meanings we give to roots, family, legacy and the outcomes of chance. While it did open my eyes on a piece of history I knew nothing about, it also has a universal theme: from my perspective it is, more than anything else, a tale about the power of words: written, spoken, remembered, and the devastating effects of words untold.
December 27, 2016
This is such an interesting topic. Jewish immigrants to Ireland and the mix of Jewish and Irish cultures. It also explores the diaspora of the Irish to London. It is told in three separate stories that span a hundred years or so and are so beautifully tied together. Reading this immediately brings to mind the plight of immigrants who are currently trying to find a new home in Europe. My heart goes out to them.
September 9, 2016
In return for NetGalley kindly providing me with an advance electronic copy of this book, I'm sharing an open and honest review.
I found this book to be incredibly engaging, unique, and well-written. The main characters are sympathetic, realistic, and I was really sad to leave them behind. My only issue with the book -- and it's a big one -- is that, for me, it was too disjointed. I like when an author forces me to make leaps, fills in blanks as I go along, like bread crumbs strewn through the woods. Unfortunately, in the case of "Nine Folds Makes a Paper Swan" the gaps between bread crumbs were too large...or the birds ate too many (pick your metaphor), which left me confused, more often than not, and struggling to try to figure out what the connections were between the different stories within the story. I'll allow that this may have been a failing on the part of my imagination...and, indeed, I hope that's the case, because this was a very different, clever, story...and even though I was confused more often than I would have liked, I so appreciate the art, the imagination, the beauty of the tale.
I'd suggest that you pick it up and read it -- give it a chance! It really is quite lovely!
I would give it 3 1/2 stars if I could...and if there were less gaps between crumbs, I can see it being a 4.5.
I found this book to be incredibly engaging, unique, and well-written. The main characters are sympathetic, realistic, and I was really sad to leave them behind. My only issue with the book -- and it's a big one -- is that, for me, it was too disjointed. I like when an author forces me to make leaps, fills in blanks as I go along, like bread crumbs strewn through the woods. Unfortunately, in the case of "Nine Folds Makes a Paper Swan" the gaps between bread crumbs were too large...or the birds ate too many (pick your metaphor), which left me confused, more often than not, and struggling to try to figure out what the connections were between the different stories within the story. I'll allow that this may have been a failing on the part of my imagination...and, indeed, I hope that's the case, because this was a very different, clever, story...and even though I was confused more often than I would have liked, I so appreciate the art, the imagination, the beauty of the tale.
I'd suggest that you pick it up and read it -- give it a chance! It really is quite lovely!
I would give it 3 1/2 stars if I could...and if there were less gaps between crumbs, I can see it being a 4.5.
July 19, 2017
I don't like multiple POVs in a novel so much, and maybe this is what prevented me from fully enjoying it. The subject matter is interesting - different perspectives on Irish Jewry from the first refugees arriving there from East Europe to our days. But the author keeps jumping between times and characters. The connections between them are mostly insignificant apart from their being Jewish. Some of the stories are told in the first person, while others from the third, which makes your mind's gearbox creak every time it has to shift those gears. The stories themselves tell you about difficult emotions and happenings, but I never felt fully engaged and moved. I think another structure or editing would have served this novel much better. In short, it's not a bad novel, but it could have been better and more enjoyable.
January 3, 2017
Nine Folds Make a Paper Swan is a story with many layers and one filled with complex characters. The book connects the stories of Jewish immigrants in Ireland from completely different generations.
We meet Ruth, a 10-year old girl who's family arrive in what they think is New York, when in fact the ship docks in Ireland. We see Ruth grow up and make a life for herself, whilst supporting her family. Her story overlaps with Shem, a young Jewish man who has been sent to an asylum by his father for becoming mute because of a secret he holds. Finally, there is Aisling, a young Irish woman in modern-day Ireland who has emigrated to London. We see Aisling's love for her boyfriend waver as she is presented with a very unusual gift. Each story offered excitement, hardship and growth for the characters.
The three main characters in the book relate to each other in surprising ways and allow for a satisfying end to the story. The themes of love, religious beliefs and what we do because of these are central to the story. However, Gilligan also depicts other elements including Ireland's Jewish community and the immigrant experience, antisemitism, WWII and Judaism's ethical teachings in this story.
I really enjoyed how you get little pieces of the puzzle throughout the book, and by the end, the whole picture is revealed.
We meet Ruth, a 10-year old girl who's family arrive in what they think is New York, when in fact the ship docks in Ireland. We see Ruth grow up and make a life for herself, whilst supporting her family. Her story overlaps with Shem, a young Jewish man who has been sent to an asylum by his father for becoming mute because of a secret he holds. Finally, there is Aisling, a young Irish woman in modern-day Ireland who has emigrated to London. We see Aisling's love for her boyfriend waver as she is presented with a very unusual gift. Each story offered excitement, hardship and growth for the characters.
The three main characters in the book relate to each other in surprising ways and allow for a satisfying end to the story. The themes of love, religious beliefs and what we do because of these are central to the story. However, Gilligan also depicts other elements including Ireland's Jewish community and the immigrant experience, antisemitism, WWII and Judaism's ethical teachings in this story.
I really enjoyed how you get little pieces of the puzzle throughout the book, and by the end, the whole picture is revealed.
August 10, 2016
Ruth Gilligan's surprising, complex and haunting novel, Nine Folds to Make a Paper Swan, explores issues of identity and love through the lives of three characters living in Ireland at different times, whose lives touch one another's through coincidences that are ultimately revealed. Central to each of the three alternating stories are themes of Jewish culture and teachings and the intersection of Jewish and Irish identity. The story begins in 1901 aboard a ship about to deliver a Lithuanian-Jewish family to what they anticipate is America but turns out to be Ireland. How young Ruth makes a life for herself in this unexpected milieu intertwines with the story of Shem, a young Jewish man who lost his voice at the most crucial of moments, and that of Aisling, Irish Catholic girl who faces a decision that will determine her future. In lyrical language, the author paints a picture of Ireland's Jewish community and the immigrant experience. Intermarriage, antisemitism, WWII in "neutral" Ireland, and Judaism's ethical teachings are other major elements in the story. Spanning over a century, these three seemingly disconnected stories come together in a way that, though perhaps a bit of a stretch, is ultimately satisfying by the end of the book.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
June 21, 2019
I saw the author speaking about her books and recent adventures in communication at the Hay Literary festival this year and was taken with her description of the challenge she set herself to write a new novel about a subject that was totally alien to her own world; the Jewish diaspora in Ireland.
Nine Folds... is that novel and I am very pleased I was seduced into buying it.
The action takes place in three different families and over different time frames. Ruth comes with her family, from pogrom-plagued Lithuania, to Cork in the early years of the 20th century thinking they have arrived in America. Shem, in the middle of the century, is a boy who has been institutionalised because he has fallen mute after seeing something shocking. Finally, Aisling, a very modern Irish immigrant living in London, is struggling with her boyfriend's request that she convert to Judaism.
Through the cleverly interlaced and constructed histories of these three protagonists Gilligan teaches us much about the Jewish community in Ireland over the course of a century. The characters are well-drawn and developed and even secondary characters shine out as believable and essential to the three intertwined stories. An engrossing read with satisfactory endings elicited for each of our main subjects.
Nine Folds... is that novel and I am very pleased I was seduced into buying it.
The action takes place in three different families and over different time frames. Ruth comes with her family, from pogrom-plagued Lithuania, to Cork in the early years of the 20th century thinking they have arrived in America. Shem, in the middle of the century, is a boy who has been institutionalised because he has fallen mute after seeing something shocking. Finally, Aisling, a very modern Irish immigrant living in London, is struggling with her boyfriend's request that she convert to Judaism.
Through the cleverly interlaced and constructed histories of these three protagonists Gilligan teaches us much about the Jewish community in Ireland over the course of a century. The characters are well-drawn and developed and even secondary characters shine out as believable and essential to the three intertwined stories. An engrossing read with satisfactory endings elicited for each of our main subjects.
July 20, 2016
Gilligan's wonderful novel didn't grab me from the start, but it didn't take long before I was drawn completely into this telling of three stories that are connected in many ways and in many layers. In addition to the more obvious, yet perhaps too coincidental links, they tell the stories of the monumental choices one makes despite the veracity of their bases; of the role of religion in those choices and in one's life; of relationships, love, friendship, and so much more. Swans, mating for life and gathering in lamentations, hold special meanings that undergird the book. Love, sorrow, grief, belief...they're all there in surprising ways. Gilligan's changes of narrative perspective is very effective, and her writing's exquisite touches make the reader an important part of the book, for we also make assumptions and choices throughout that are as flawed and human as Ruth's, Shem's, and Aisling's. Nine Folds Make a Paper Swan is a particularly touching and soul-searching read.
I received an arc from NetGalley.com in exchange for an objective review.
I received an arc from NetGalley.com in exchange for an objective review.
June 2, 2018
I wish the book had been more focused on the similarities between Irish and Jewish storytelling as the conversion storylines never really rang true to this reader and son of Irish Jews. Told in three time frames that never quite cohere to make a whole book, there was still much to like here.
December 22, 2016
I received this books as a giveaway.
I really enjoyed this book! The way each story connected with the others was breathtaking! Each story offered a little piece of a puzzle and once the book ended, the full picture revealed itself. This book was truly inspiring. Each story offered hardships, excitement, and growth for the characters. I would strongly recommend this book to individuals who want to read something with great characters and a great storyline throughout. This book offered a unique look into the Jewish population of Ireland that many people know little about.
Also, having recently traveled to Ireland made all of the places described in this book come to life. There was mention of a place called the Forty Foot and that was something I did while in Ireland. This additional experience of my travels made this book even better!
I really enjoyed this book! The way each story connected with the others was breathtaking! Each story offered a little piece of a puzzle and once the book ended, the full picture revealed itself. This book was truly inspiring. Each story offered hardships, excitement, and growth for the characters. I would strongly recommend this book to individuals who want to read something with great characters and a great storyline throughout. This book offered a unique look into the Jewish population of Ireland that many people know little about.
Also, having recently traveled to Ireland made all of the places described in this book come to life. There was mention of a place called the Forty Foot and that was something I did while in Ireland. This additional experience of my travels made this book even better!
March 14, 2021
Loved the premise - Jewish communities in Ireland, something I know nothing about. Sadly I really still have very little idea of their experiences. The book is very disjointed, the characters feel distant and everyone is miserable.
July 6, 2017
This was a very difficult book to get into. I considered stopping it many times. Once the stories merged and tied together, the book became very interesting . It seemed to be three independent stories covering many years. I'm glad I finished it and found out what really happened to the main characters . I learned a lot about the European Jews who found refuge in Ireland and what their lives were like.
April 24, 2023
I really liked this one! It was beautifully written and the 3 different stories intertwined so perfectly. The characters felt lively and real, and their stories and individual experiences had me hooked. I’ll be reading more by Gilligan in the future, for sure!
August 14, 2016
3.5 stars
A thought provoking book that takes three stories in three time periods and manages to link them together in a subtle and believable way.
The book opens with the Greenberg family who are emigrating from Lithuania and mistakenly disembark from their boat in Cork instead of New York in 1901. Instead of the big city and family welcome they were expecting they must make their home among the insular Cork folk.
The second narrative strand is Shem, a young man who stops speaking on the day of his Bar Mitzvah because of something he sees his beloved Ima (Mother) do. Fearful of committing a terrible sin by revealing her actions he instead becomes voluntarily mute, and ends up in a catholic institution.
The third narrator is Ashling, a young immigrant in London who is considering coverting to Judaism in order to marry her boyfriend. Despite not being a particularly devout catholic, she is reluctant to cut ties to her childhood faith, and fearful of her family's reactions.
Gilligan finds a clever way to interweave these three stories and narrators, and manages to tie them together in a way that is satisfying not cloying.
A thought provoking book that takes three stories in three time periods and manages to link them together in a subtle and believable way.
The book opens with the Greenberg family who are emigrating from Lithuania and mistakenly disembark from their boat in Cork instead of New York in 1901. Instead of the big city and family welcome they were expecting they must make their home among the insular Cork folk.
The second narrative strand is Shem, a young man who stops speaking on the day of his Bar Mitzvah because of something he sees his beloved Ima (Mother) do. Fearful of committing a terrible sin by revealing her actions he instead becomes voluntarily mute, and ends up in a catholic institution.
The third narrator is Ashling, a young immigrant in London who is considering coverting to Judaism in order to marry her boyfriend. Despite not being a particularly devout catholic, she is reluctant to cut ties to her childhood faith, and fearful of her family's reactions.
Gilligan finds a clever way to interweave these three stories and narrators, and manages to tie them together in a way that is satisfying not cloying.
July 2, 2017
This was a slow read for me but I was compelled to finish it, eager to find out how the three different narratives would come together in the end. Ruth is a Lithuanian Jewish immigrant whose family mistakenly disembarks in Cork, Ireland in 1901 thinking it's New York. Shem becomes a mute on the eve of his Bar Mitzvah and is admitted into a Catholic sanatorium in 1950's where he befriends an elderly double-amputee. And, Aisling, an Irish-Catholic living in contemporary London, must decide if she's willing to convert to Judaism in order to marry her boyfriend. I knew absolutely nothing about the Jewish experience in Ireland, so many aspects of the book were interesting, but I just didn't feel that connected to any of the characters.
March 24, 2017
Beautiful, lyrical prose that kept me hooked till the last word was read. And then i felt so angry, for it being the last word and then so many threads left hanging, without closure, without peace.
My favourite character was Ruth and I am still mad not knowing how that arc ends, mad for her to snatch bits and pieces of happiness from ether but nothing to call her own, sad for Alf...sigh.
Lovely writing if I have not said that already. You will not regret picking this up though I feel we are forgetting history only to repeat it again. and again. Jews. Bosniaks.Muslims. All of us mute like Shem, afraid if we speak we bring more pain. Till no one is left to tell the stories.
My favourite character was Ruth and I am still mad not knowing how that arc ends, mad for her to snatch bits and pieces of happiness from ether but nothing to call her own, sad for Alf...sigh.
Lovely writing if I have not said that already. You will not regret picking this up though I feel we are forgetting history only to repeat it again. and again. Jews. Bosniaks.Muslims. All of us mute like Shem, afraid if we speak we bring more pain. Till no one is left to tell the stories.
November 28, 2016
This is a truly fantastic novel. Gilligan's writing is spectacular and her storytelling is brilliant. This book had me laughing, crying, and contemplating what makes someone who they are. What makes a life a life? Publisher, Tin House, once again has found an original and captivating writer that I can't wait to read more from.
My favorite part of the novel is how the three lives are woven together and their connection spans generations.
My favorite part of the novel is how the three lives are woven together and their connection spans generations.
October 1, 2016
A unique story that was a very good read. I won it in a contest and I thought it was wonderful.
March 27, 2017
There are 3 POVs in this book. Ruth's family was on their way to America, escaping Lithuania, but ended up in Ireland. She grows up there, makes a life there. I would have wished more of her story, Ireland changing and all that, instead it moved pretty past and we got tidbits here and there.
The second POV was my least fav, a boy in a mental institution, he has stopped talking and well, he just there.
The third POV was my favorite. Ashling loves her boyfriend but he wants to marry a Jewish girl, and she is wondering if she should convert.
But honestly, I wish the book had been longer, or one narrator could have been skipped so the other stories could have gotten more time. I wanted more flesh on the bones. I wanted to get to know them more. It made it confusing at time too when a new chapter started, but whose was it? Someone just started talking. It could have done with some header or something.
Why am I thinking of Joyce now...it was not like that, but they all did think a lot. We did not really see things around them. Things that were happening, it really was a character novel instead and we were in their heads.
Conclusion:
Jewish lives in Ireland. Different generations and interwoven stories.
The second POV was my least fav, a boy in a mental institution, he has stopped talking and well, he just there.
The third POV was my favorite. Ashling loves her boyfriend but he wants to marry a Jewish girl, and she is wondering if she should convert.
But honestly, I wish the book had been longer, or one narrator could have been skipped so the other stories could have gotten more time. I wanted more flesh on the bones. I wanted to get to know them more. It made it confusing at time too when a new chapter started, but whose was it? Someone just started talking. It could have done with some header or something.
Why am I thinking of Joyce now...it was not like that, but they all did think a lot. We did not really see things around them. Things that were happening, it really was a character novel instead and we were in their heads.
Conclusion:
Jewish lives in Ireland. Different generations and interwoven stories.
February 4, 2018
Several novels I’ve read over the past few months opened with a new literary device: the prologue takes place in contemporary times and features an unnamed character whose story unfolds over the course of the work. Most of the time it’s clear that the person featured is one of two characters and part of the fun is trying to determine that person’s identity. While Ruth Gilligan does use this device in the prologue to her moving and intriguing “Nine Folds Make a Paper Swan” (Tin House Books), it’s featured in a far more complex way. Her opening focuses on two unnamed characters and the novel offers the stories of several people who live in different time periods. The connections between these characters are far more tenuous, although no less emotionally affecting when finally revealed.
See the rest of my review at http://www.thereportergroup.org/Artic...
See the rest of my review at http://www.thereportergroup.org/Artic...
February 8, 2020
This novel is made up of three interlocking stories from three different time periods, all of which have to do with the Jewish community in Ireland. It did take a couple of cycles to get into and start to care about the characters, but once I did I really appreciated the construction of the book. I enjoyed when the stories revealed little synchronies, and the ending was extremely well done.
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