Where I Am

Where I Am, written by Dana Shem-Ur and translated by Yardenne Greenspan, takes the reader into the mind of a person who feels disconnected from the world and those around her.

This short novel is short on action in the usual sense of the word but is full of action in the sense of human interaction and the ways they can be understood and internalized. Reut is an expat, an Israeli living in Paris by way of grad school in the United States, and a translator of texts into Hebrew. So she not only has come to appreciate many of the things she fled when leaving Israel (a not uncommon experience for anyone "fleeing" a place, even within a country, think small town to city) but through translating texts is still connected to her home country. show more Her disconnect is further illustrated by the topic of her dissertation, the US Civil War. She is, to put it mildly, everywhere and nowhere all at the same time, and it is the nowhere that seems to be wearing her down.

While most of us haven't experienced the feelings of not belonging (real or imagined) in the same ways Reut does, I think most of us can relate to feeling out of place at times. It matters little whether it was primarily of our own making or because others actually thought we didn't belong, the feeling is the same. So at the same time readers are empathizing with her, we are also thinking about our own life experiences.

Recommended for readers who enjoy a lot of character-driven reflection without a lot of superfluous action. As both a character study and an opportunity for readers to think about their own uncertainties in life, this novel can, for an engaged reader, be very rewarding.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss. show less

Living in Paris with her French husband and child, Reut, an Israeli translator, feels alienated. Her feelings of isolation are heightened at a dinner party with affluent friends. How will she navigate cultural codes? Will she ever feel at home?

WHERE I AM is a beautifully written portrait of a woman striving to find her sense of self within her ever-changing world. Being a heavily character-driven novel, Dana Shem-Ur has taken seemingly mundane occurrences of life and weaved them into a vivid tale that is both profound and entertaining. Regardless of my agreement with Reut’s actions, it was difficult not to reflect on myself while following along with her story. What is my place within the cultural context of my immediate world? How do show more I see my identity? How have these evolved over time as my location has changed?

I enjoyed WHERE I AM and would recommend it to fans of character-driven fiction or those interested in translated works.

Thank you to New Vessel Press for the Early Reviewers giveaway ARC. show less

I received this as a Library Thing early reviewer.
This was a well-written, sensory and quick novel. I enjoyed the depth that Shem-ur went into the mind of her main character, making a plot that may have been shallow social drama in the hands of another writer into something absorbing.
The central character, Reut, is in her early forties, a Jewish woman living in Paris with her husband, Jean-Claude, and their son Julien. The book follows her for a shockingly short amount of time: the space of a dinner party at their home, and then the lead up to and first two days of a trip she and her husband take to Italy a few months later. The conflict of the book is in her strained relationship with her husband, somewhat, and their friends and show more acquaintances, somewhat, but it is largely in her strained relationship and unknowing of herself. I felt viscerally the discomfort she did, enabled by vivid descriptions of both her pains and pleasures, and particularly her perceptions of herself and those around her.
I’d recommend this book; it’s certainly worth the read and an absorbing experience. I’m usually not a fan of this type of unresolved ending, but I thought it worked here. We see Reut fall deeper and deeper into her own misunderstanding, and her own existence, which has the urgency of a freight train despite being a normal set of circumstances. Her animal and yet human responses say a lot about how much society determines our actions, which can be at odds with our own instincts, our own desires, and the ramifications of letting all those things continue to unravel. show less

"Where I Am" by Dana Shem-Ur is a poignant exploration of identity, belonging, and the search for self in a rapidly changing world. The author weaves a compelling narrative that blends personal memoir with broader cultural and social commentary. Through vivid storytelling and deep introspection, Shem-Ur examines themes of displacement, home, and the complexities of navigating multiple cultures. The book's emotional depth and thoughtful reflections make it a resonant and engaging read for anyone interested in the intricacies of personal and collective identity.

This rarely occurs but I'm not sure what I've just read. I will refer to this book, "Where I Am" as a novella. While I read it, I kept thinking where is this story going? It felt like a glimpse into someone's life. I would say it was fascinating, but honesty prevails and I must admit I lost interest in the story early on although I persisted reading until the end. It is always important for an author to continually engage a reader by sparking interest in the main character. Reut never really evolves into more than an introspective woman who is confused about her relationship with men. She falls apart emotionally when she and her husband go on a trip together. She momentarily gains back her joi de vivre when she and an acquaintance, show more Bernard, go away on a day trip.

"Where I Am" is an attempt by author Dana Shem-Ur to reveal the depth of a woman's entanglement when her sense of self worth is often challenged in her marriage. Is there a resolution to Reut's dilemma of isolation and intermittent despair that leads to her happiness? If this interests you, then get a copy of this new book and better understand why a woman who appears to have everything is still unhappy. Unfortunately, I never reached the point where I cared enough or was connected enough to care about Reut and her troubles. show less

This was an easy read, but difficult to understand its purpose or intent. It almost read in "real time," for example, a cocktail party played out in such detail it almost felt like I was in attendance. Not a lot happened, either. I kept waiting for the big crisis, or twist, but it never happened. The novel moved very slowly, excruciatingly so at times. The main character, Reut, appears to be making poor choices based on alcoholism, which may have been brought about by her feelings of not fitting in. Reut has been living in Paris for two decades and still feels like an outsider, despite having a French husband and a grown son who she describes as "a man with an impeccable Parisian accent, who just so happened to be her son, but could show more have just as easily been a stranger." Reut also describes her bathroom activities in quite detail, which I found unsettling and unnecessary to the story. She describes the color and flow of her urine; the sensation of a possible infection settling in. Once, I may have forgiven this window into her bathroom habits, but it happened repeatedly. Blech. However, like I said, the book was very easy to read. It flowed well. The descriptions of the French food were a treat. It felt like a narration. So, if you're looking for a quick, easy read that will be easy to put down, and easier still to forget, this may be a good choice. show less

I’m not even sure where to start with this book. Literally nothing happened. At all. And I have never, in my life, read a book where the main character uses the restroom so much. And with such detailed description!! I wanted to say it was boring, but I really just ended up laughing.