As a person who is interested in the role of faith in the modern world, I found Disobedience to be a captivating and thought provoking story. In chronicling the clash between these two worlds - Ronit's modern one full of unlimited choices and Esti's constrained world of tradition and rules - Alderman refuses to present an easy solution. Instead she uses each women's experiences and perspectives to highlight the tensions involved. She is not afraid to point out the flaws and repercussions of orthodox Judaism but she also paints a loving - to me - portrait of its wisdom. In the same way, she doesn't simply celebrate modernity as a perfect world of choice and freedom. As a result Disobedience is not just a thought provoking look inside a devout and closed world, it is also a timeless story about living with the consequences of our choices. Alderman is clearly a talented writer and her portrait of the London Orthodox Community reflects this, but her characterization is a little thin in places. Ronit can come off as simply a caricature at times (busy, successful women whose love life is a mess, etc.) and her rebellion can seem a bit cliche as well. But it is in the contrast between her and Esti that the book gets its impact. It is also worth noting that the perspective you bring to the book is likely to have an impact on how you view the characters. Those sympathetic to orthodoxy or tradition will react differently to those with a more libertarian or libertine perspective. This is another reason I found it so interesting.