Spotlight on Gitel's Freedom by Iris Mitlin Lav

 A Depression-era novel that showcases strength and struggles of Jewish immigrant women in America

 

Washington, D.C. – For fans of Georgia Hunter’s “We Were the Lucky Ones” comes Iris Mitlin Lav’s “Gitel’s Freedom” (March 25, 2025, She Writes Press), a historical novel about the lives of Jewish immigrants in the early twentieth century and one woman’s journey toward personal freedom.

 At an early age, Gitel questions the expected roles of women in society and in Judaism. Born in Belorussia and brought to the U.S. in 1911, she leads a life constrained by her Jewish parents. Forbidden from going to college and pushed into finding a husband, she marries Shmuel, an Orthodox Jewish pharmacist whose left-wing politics she admires. They plan to work together in a neighborhood pharmacy in Chicago—but when the Great Depression hits and their bank closes, their hopes are shattered.

 In the years that follow, bad luck plagues their marriage, leaving them in financial distress. Gitel dreams of going back to school to become a teacher once their daughter reaches high school, but finds her ambitions thwarted by an unexpected pregnancy. And when a massive stroke leaves Shmuel disabled, Gitel is challenged to combine caring for him, being the breadwinner at a time when women face salary discrimination, and being present for their second daughter.

 An illuminating look at Jewish immigrant life in early-1900s America, “Gitel’s Freedom” is also a compelling tale of women’s resourcefulness and resilience in the face of limiting and often oppressive expectations.

 

 

IRIS MITLIN LAV grew up in the liberal Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. She went on to earn an MBA from George Washington University and an AB from the University of Chicago, and to enjoy a long career of public policy analysis and management, with an emphasis on improving policies for low- and moderate-income families. She also taught public finance at Johns Hopkins University and George Mason University, and in 1999 received the Steven D. Gold award for contributions to state and local fiscal policy, an award jointly given by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the National Tax Association. Her first novel, “A Wife in Bangkok,” was published in 2020 by She Writes Press. “Gitel’s Freedom” is her second novel. Lav and her husband now live in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with Mango, their goldendoodle, and grandchildren nearby. Learn more about her life and work at: www.irismitlinlav.com

 

An Interview with Iris Mitlin Lav

 

Why did you decide to write novels after retiring from public policy work? What is your advice for others who might wish to begin writing?

I have always loved reading novels, and during the course of my work life I found policy writing easy to do. I also liked to tell stories, which often were well received. Despite the fact that my last creative writing course was more than 60 years ago in high school, I decided to sit down and see what would happen, which resulted in my first novel. I’d advise someone who wants to begin writing fiction to sit down at their computer, start writing, and decide whether what comes out seems like a viable novel. Then find a developmental editor to help refine it.

 

What was your inspiration for “Gitel’s Freedom”?

Gitel’s Freedom is fiction, but it is based on my family’s experiences. I always marveled at how strong the real Gitel–my mother–was, dealing with all forms of adversity that kept plaguing her life, while continuing to be the best mother she could be and also concerning herself with social issues through various organizations to which she belonged. I wanted to portray what her life was like. And also to portray how women’s freedoms changed through the generations.

 

What is the significance of the locations in the book?

The Hyde Park neighborhood in Chicago was, and still is a very special place. At the time at which the novel is set, it was the only racially integrated neighborhood in the city, and

Hyde Park High School was the only integrated school. Unlike most places at the time, interactions and friendships between races was the norm. That contrasts with the Lawndale neighborhood where Shmuel grew up and Gitel and Shmuel first lived, which was in effect a Jewish ghetto.

 

Did you do any research to accurately convey the difficulties of the time, especially for immigrants in the United States?

I did a lot of research about the Great Depression; the statistics Gitel repeatedly cites to Shmuel in the novel about the declining economy are accurate, as are the events such as the bank closings. Shmuel clearly never understood how serious the economic situation was, nor did he understand the shaky Illinois banking system with its many small,  under-capitalized banks. He likely was typical of many immigrants in that respect. Gitel understood, but as a woman she couldn’t override her husband’s poor decisions.

 

Gitel is quite resourceful and resilient in the face of limiting and often oppressive expectations. What are the consequences of the limited opportunities for women during this time period?

In this time period, women–and particularly married women–had little freedom to make choices. If they wanted to leave a bad marriage, they likely would have difficulty supporting themselves because of pay disparities between men and women and the limited type of work for which women could be hired. (Note that the wage disparities between men and women at all education levels persist today.) If a woman had children, the Chicago Public Schools made it impossible for women to work because children below high school age came home for lunch every day. Most women were dependent on a husband’s income if they were married and had children, or on an inequitable employment and pay system if they were single.