Book Review
YOUR MOUTH IS LOVELY
By Nancy Richler
Harper Flamingo, 351 pp.
Traditionally, when a child utters their first words, a Jewish mother says (in Yiddish), "Your mouth is lovely." It is a mother’s prayer that her child’s words will always be worthy of the gift of speech. The sentiment is so treasured that Vancouver-based Nancy Richler takes it as the title of her second novel. Richler's prose style will keep you reading; it is full of bright images and flavourful tension.
The novel takes place between 1887 and 1912 in Minsk Gubernia when Belarus and the Ukraine were still part of the Russian Empire, and follows the life of Miriam during two different periods. The opening timeline is set in 1911, when Miriam is a prisoner in Siberia. She assumes she will die and is explaining herself to her six-year-old daughter who lives in Canada.
The second, more enchanting timeline begins in 1887, when Miriam is a young child living near a swamp in a small Jewish village. The mysterious circumstances of Miriam's birth and her mother's suicide are known to the rest of the village, but the plot is based on her learning the truth independently. Tsila, Miriam's stepmother, whispers, "Your mouth is beautiful, your lips are a crimson thread" at the appropriate moment, and is the true heroine of the novel. She sews beautiful dresses and teaches Miriam two languages and her own philosophy.
As Miriam grows up in the increasingly volatile region and witnesses events leading to the Russian Revolution of 1905, Tsila’s philosophy fails to guide her. She begins to learn about agitators and "the Bund." She hears maxims like "Destruction births creation." She goes to Kiev and begins, unwittingly at first, to contibute to the revolution.
As the two timelines converge, the plot moves at a quick and jarring pace, especially in contrast to the slower story of the village by the swamp. The various accounts of social activism by women in the early 20th century are enlightening. As the novel regrettably ends, we understand why Miriam has been imprisoned.
Your Mouth is Lovely is a beautiful and worthwhile read.
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