Preview of Dear Elijah Summary:

Passover is coming and Rebecca Samuelson's father likely will not be at home for it. A devout man, he has always taken charge of the preparations for Passover, and Rebecca is unsure of how her family will fare without him. His absence for Passover is symbolic of his absence in Rebecca's day-to-day life, and she feels a need for his reassuring presence, not only as someone to consistently provide a comforting continuity to her life but as someone she can rebel against as she begins her search for self-identity. She is beset by anxiety as she changes from child to young woman, and her father's illness makes her even more desperate for reassurance and relief from her insecurity.

She turns to the prophet Elijah for help. Author Bat-Ami offers a brief explanation of how Elijah figures in Jewish tradition before she begins the novel, pointing out that he...