ISBN: 978-1-4620-2267-0

Publisher: iUniverse

Most of us have heard the clichéd expression life is about making choices and no doubt some of these can surely have profound consequences, as we discover from reading Bonnie Trachtenberg's debut novel Wedlocked: A Novel.

Quickly grabbing her readers in her grip with the opening chapter, Trachtenberg describes the wedding night of her two principal characters, Rebecca Ross and Craig Jacobs. In essence, we should be celebrating the most endearing moment of a couple's future life, however, as the evening progresses we are apprised of some very disturbing traits concerning the groom's past and present behavior. Readers are now forced to question, and with some discomfort, if our heroine has made one of the biggest mistakes of her life or is merely experiencing wedding night jitters?

Prior to her marriage, Rebecca was determined to pursue her dreams and become an actress despite the strong objections of her conventional Jewish parents, particularly her mother, who was still bitter when her own mother left her for a year to pursue a career as a dancer in the movie The Ziegfeld Follies of 1946. Nonetheless, this does not deter Rebecca from leaving her parent's abode and set out for the jungle of the Californian acting world, where for ten years she barely ekes out a living , however, she does succeed in making headway as an actress until one day cruel circumstances deals her quite an abhorrent blow.

Devastated, Rebecca, at age thirty-six, despondently returns to her parent's nest and as she states: “Arriving at my parents' home was a surreal event. I couldn't quite wrap my brain around the fact I was back here once again, alone, jobless, directionless.” Incidentally, during her stay in California, her father, who was a rabbi and perhaps influenced by his daughter's behavior, drops a bomb shell and decides that he likewise wants to follow his dreams and open up a scuba diving school, as he is fed up with his profession. Her mother, upon hearing her husband's plans goes ballistic, accusing him of destroying her comfortable lifestyle and the respectability it brought her as a rabbi's wife.

After several weeks of seclusion and moping around the house, Rebecca, on a snowy November Saturday night, agrees to dine out with Mom and Dad at their favorite kosher Italian restaurant in Queens. It is here where she first encounters her future husband Craig, who initially irritates her with his rude demeanor and mannerism. Divine intervention intercedes when Craig comes to Rebecca's rescue when she nearly chokes on a cherry tomato. Craig is immediately smitten, and although Rebecca was not very enthusiastic in pursuing any kind of relationship with him, he refuses to throw in the towel. For several weeks thereafter Craig chases after Rebecca, who finally succumbs and eventually agrees to marry him. To describe their honeymoon as disastrous would be an understatement, as readers discover.

Trachtenberg has crafted a sweepingly readable tale with a carefully drawn protagonist who is immensely appealing, and despite dashed hopes, continues to survive in a world where complex interpersonal relationships can sometimes prove to be catastrophic.

Each page of this novel is filled with minutiae that resonate with deep meaning exploring a grab-bag of themes as mother-daughter relationships, pursuing ones' dreams, overbearing parents, fear of living alone, waiting for Mr. Right to come along, deception, marrying someone on the rebound, and the negative effect of self-sabotage as a result of fear.

Although, most of the elements in the book worked for me, I felt that the momentum of narrative was occasionally interrupted by the inclusion of the travelogue scenes thrown in during the latter chapters. Nonetheless, Wedlocked showcases an author that has grasped the importance of sinking her readers into the unfolding inner lives of her characters, particularly that of her strong central character, Rebecca, who does things that most of us would only dream about. And this is what makes this novel a worthwhile read, leaving us with a lasting impression and impact.

CLICK HERE TO READ NORM'S INTERVIEW WITH BONNIE TRACHTENBERG

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