The House of Secrets

Polak-Sahm mesmerizes the reader with her encounters at the mikveh ...brilliantly illuminates these tensions and their religious and cultural meanings, not just intellectually but, like all good anthropologists, in a way that produces a rich understanding of people's lives. <br>-- Christian Century<br> <br> A fascinating book . . . [Polak-Sahm] views the mikveh as a house full of secrets--the secrets of women, the secrets of life, the secrets of love and purity. <br>--Peggy Cidor, Jerusalem Post <br> <br> Informative and fascinating . . . [Polak-Sahm] detail[s] a world many of us have no clue exists. <br>--Olupero R. Aiyenimelo, Feminist Review <br> <br> A compelling examination of the nature and meaning of this ritual which has remained clouded with mystery and secrecy for centuries. <br>--Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, SpiritualityandPractice.com<br> <br> [ The House of Secrets ] truly lifts the curtain on this world, often unknown to all but its participants. . . . [A] captivating book. <br>--Carol Poll, Jewish Book World<br> <br> Unique amongst works about mikveh in that [Polak-Sahm] draws on the deeply personal and revealing narratives of religious and secular women who come regularly to immerse. The stories of these women come alive here. <br>--Marion Lev-Cohen, Lilith <br> <br> Totally honest and full of surprises . . . Refreshingly, this writing is neither a Pollyanna version of the laws of family purity nor a cheap shot at them. <br> --Blu Greenberg, author of How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household