Kaaterskill Falls by Allegra Goodman

review from Amazon.com:
Endearing story with warm, thoughtful characters, November 12, 1999
Reviewer: A reader
Congratulations or more aptly "Yashe Koach" (a popular Jewish term for "A job well done.") on Kaaterskill Falls. At first, I was drawn to the novel because it centers around a distinctive Ultra Orthodox Jewish community (i.e., the Washington Heights Kirshners.) Ironically, however, I ended the book deeply touched by the universal themes it so poignantly dramatized: e.g., those of father and son, as in the case of the Rav and Jeremy; those of brother to brother, as in the case of Jeremy and Isaiah; and, those of generation to generation, as in the case of Andras and his young wife, Nina. All three of the main characters are richly layered and likeable people. I was particularly taken by Elizabeth, a homemaker longing to create something of her own outside of the home. I applauded her spunkiness and was saddened by her feelings of entrapment. We see the world through the unique eyes of the three main characters: Elizabeth, Andras and the Rav. We are privy to their internal tug of wars. And while their struggles touch on universal themes, the individuals themselves are not stereotypes. In fact, they often take us by surprise; for example, the dogmatic Rav reminisces about German secular culture. At its core, Kaaterskill Falls is about character development. If you're looking for fast action and complex plot lines, look somewhere else.