Yesterday's Streets is a first-rate story with well-drawn characters. It is an informative portrait of the vanished world of acculturated German Jews from the turn of the century until the end of Woprld War II. It is also a page-turner.

It might be useful to think of Rachel, the Rabbi's Wife as resembling Portnoy's Complaint (by Philip Roth), with about a quarter of the neuroticism, most of the whining, and more actual sex, which is described in a style that is nearly as crass. However, unlike Portnoy's Complaint, this book fails to be shocking, interesting, or groundbreaking. It is, as the title suggests, about Rachel, a Rabbi's wife. Rachel is an ineffective dreamer who doesn't fit in with her community, and the Rabbi is an irresponsible, hypocritical, overgrown brat. I hate his character so much that I am forced to acknowledge that he was skillfully drawn-which is why this book has earned one star from me. Other than that, there isn't much of a plot--it's more of a day-by-day account of rebbetzin politics--and too often the author spends pages at a time talking about baseball.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable story about a year in the life of Rachel Sonnshein, the wife of a rabbi in the suburbs of Long Island. It's an interesting peak behind the scenes as the rabbi works to renew his contract then becomes involved with the wife of one of his rich congregants. Meanwhile Rachels forms a close bond with her son. This was a warm, witty, intelligent read. Highly enoyable. Don't miss it.