Songs for the Brokenhearted

A Novel

By: Ayelet Tsabari

Narrated by: Ayelet Tsabari, Assaf Cohen, Yossi Zabari

A young Yemeni Israeli woman learns of her mother’s secret romance in a dramatic journey through lost family stories, revealing the unbreakable bond between a mother and a daughter—the debut novel of an award-winning literary voice.

“A gorgeous, gripping novel filled with unforgettable characters.”—Elizabeth Graver, author of Kantika

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD’S JJ GREENBERG MEMORIAL AWARD

1950. Thousands of Yemeni Jews have immigrated to the newly founded Israel in search of a better life. In an overcrowded immigrant camp in Rosh Ha’ayin, Yaqub, a shy young man, happens upon Saida, a beautiful girl singing by the river. In the midst of chaos and uncertainty, they fall in love. But they weren’t supposed to; Saida is married and has a child, and a married woman has no place befriending another man.

1995. Thirty-something Zohara, Saida’s daughter, has been living in New York City—a city that feels much less complicated than Israel, where she grew up wishing that her skin was lighter, that her illiterate mother’s Yemeni music was quieter, and that the father who always favored her was alive. She hasn’t looked back since leaving home, rarely in touch with her mother or sister, Lizzie, and missing out on her nephew Yoni’s childhood. But when Lizzie calls to tell her their mother has died, she gets on a plane to Israel with no return ticket.

Soon Zohara finds herself on an unexpected path that leads to shocking truths about her family—including dangers that lurk for impressionable young men and secrets that force her to question everything she thought she knew about her parents, her heritage, and her own future.

©2024 Ayelet Tsabari (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Songs for the Brokenhearted is immersive, distinguished by sharp and agile prose, a remarkable cast of fully realized characters, and spellbinding storytelling. And when it comes to bearing witness to the vibrant history and culture of generations of Israel’s marginalized groups, the novel is an unparalleled triumph.”—Jewish Book Council, Book Club Pick

“Ayelet Tsabari is a gorgeous and empathic writer, and her new book, Songs for the Brokenhearted, is one of the most bighearted, profound, and nuanced novels I’ve read in years. This book broke my heart but, through Tsabari’s masterful writing and beautifully rendered characters, gave me optimism, too. . . . An incredible debut novel by a writer wise beyond her years. I loved it.”—Molly Antopol, author of The UnAmericans

“In her new novel, Ayelet Tsabari’s craft is at its apex. Her characters are alive, the story skillfully structured, and the tragic, hidden history of Yemenite Jews expertly woven into the lives of people you will laugh with and shed tears for. To read this book is also to encounter an Israel and Palestine few of us are familiar with nowadays, back when words like ‘peace’ and ‘hope’ were common, and nuance and complexity possible. A love song for a time long past, overflowing with emotional intelligence and psychological insight, Songs for the Brokenhearted will break your heart.”—Jonathan Garfinkel, author of In a Land Without Dogs the Cats Learn to Bark

The love story of Yakov and Saïda.

I loved the whole book from start to finish! The narrators made it so enjoyable to listen and never lost my attention.

Historical fiction, Sad and Fascinating

I loved the book, which has a structure that is unusual, with three individual’s voices (and three corresponding narrators) telling the story, winding together like the voices of a complicated yet harmonious song. The historical period covers Israel, 1950-1995. The history of the Yemeni Jews in Israel, a Yemeni family history, and the tragedy of the Oslo years form the detailed backdrop of the narrative by three voices, Zohara, the distant, younger daughter of Saidi, Yoni the favored grandson of Saida, and Yaqub, the secret lover of Saida, speaking upon the death of Saida. This is one book that actually works better as an audio book.

such a heartfelt wonderful human read

I don't know what I expected but WOW, this book is so touching with such a gripping real story. loved it!

heartfelt story about love and loss

A story of love and loss and finding one self again across generations, The book tells the story of a young Yemeni woman, Zaida, whose family flees Yemen for Israel, and finds not the promised milk and honey but the hard life of the refugee. Told by her daughter, Zohara, whose own story includes a stay in a prestigious Ashkenazi high school that distances her from her Mizrahi identity. The book begins as Zohara returns from school in the United States to mourn her mother's passing, Through the work of cleaning her mother's apartment, Zohara finds clues to a hidden life both sweet and sorrowful. In unearthing and claiming her mother's story, Zohara is able to unearth and claim her own identity. Beautifully written, beautifully read.

Yemini life and cultural appreciation

Worth reading: one love story constrained by “the times” and another evolves with an acceptance of oneself and one’s culture —- a touching Intergenerational view of a Yemini’s family life in Israel through the eyes of a daughter who learns her mom’s secrets after her mom’s death.