On Her Own

A Novel

By: Lihi Lapid

Narrated by: Emily Lawrence

A moving, page-turning story of two families in crisis and the unexpected places from which love can grow.

""The true mystery Lapid seeks to unveil is one of the most burning questions of our time: What does it mean to be a woman in today’s world? On Her Own is a book you will want all the women in your life to read."" —Ayelet Gundar-Goshen, award-winning author of Waking Lions

Nina, a teenage runaway, wakes up in the unfamiliar stairwell of a Tel Aviv apartment in a torn minidress. As her memory starts to resurface—the abusive older man she’s running away from, the crime she witnessed—she knows one thing: she needs to find a place to hide.

When one of the building’s tenants, Carmela, a lonely old widow suffering from memory loss, mistakes Nina for her granddaughter she hasn’t seen in years, Nina jumps at the opportunity for a safe haven. Soon, the two strangers become each other’s lifeline as Nina settles into the apartment with sweet, reassuring Carmela.

Meanwhile, Irina, a Russian immigrant, is living a parent’s worst nightmare: her only daughter has gone missing. She knows Nina got involved with the wrong men and will do anything to find her. Across the ocean, Itamar feels that something is happening to his mom, Carmela. The guilt over having left Israel for his pursuit of the American dream stirs childhood memories in him and a longing for the family that once was complete.

Set between the eve of Passover and Israel’s Independence Day, On Her Own is a tense and immersive psychological read about two families looking for redemption and the transformative bonds between strangers.

Translated from the Hebrew by Sondra Silverston.

Dramatic and intriguing

The book is a mystery with a glimpse into aspects of Jewish life in Israel: crime, geography, the diaspora. And a psychological study of how young women go astray. I listened for hours at a time. The author is skilled in closely weaving of lives of many characters into one moving story. How the story ended surprised me but probably not an Israeli before 7 October.

Goodness prevails.

A "should read." Wanted the story to continue. Thought the characters left so much room for more development. Maybe a sequel?

Outstanding, moving novel

Loved this novel, so original and engrossing. Not a mystery thriller, but a page-turner all the same. Well narrated except for Hebrew words and some names that aren’t pronounced correctly.

Being alone, means different things in different societies

Listened to this book. At first it was confusing to know which character was which, once I reconciled who was who I enjoyed the book and found myself rooting for the “alone” characters. Shows how different the Israeli society is from American society especially when it comes to family ties.

The reality of life in Israel….the good, the bad and the ugly. Why Israeli’s are willing to die to keep it.

As an American, I learned to understand why Israelis have a love/hate relationship with their country. Why Israel is who they are and why they are one and the same. Americans have a different relationship with our country since it’s almost 250 years old and few people alive fought for our survival. For Israelis, it’s a daily struggle…….