Sisters of Fortune

“In this debut, Esther Chehebar captures the Syrian Jewish way of life with nuance, affection and humor, illuminating a community grounded in history and culture even as the scaffolding that holds that life in place begins to shift.”—Hadassah Magazine“Syrian Jewish culture gets the Jane Austen treatment, with sisters Nina, Fortune and Lucy—the rebel, the good girl and the baby of the family, respectively—all on the marriage market. What’s Mama Cohen to do? Chehebar’s witty debut dives deep into Brooklyn’s Syrian Jewish community.”—People, Best Books of July 2025“This book explores the bonds of sisterhood, immigrant identity, and the universal search for self-determination—all served alongside perfectly rolled grape leaves.”—SheReads“Chehebar deftly shifts among the three sisters’ perspectives… . Although each of them longs for their community’s seal of approval, they are also 21st-century young women with their own hopes and ambitions… . Chehebar explores these issues with wry humor and compassion.”—Shelf Awareness“A vibrant celebration of identity and the push-pull between heritage and autonomy.”—Kirkus Reviews“An absolute joy of a novel about a most enviable family, this is a book to savor—a feast for the heart and mind. Read it if you yearn to be immersed in matriarchy at its finest.”—Elisa Albert, author of Human Blues“In this savvy and heartwarming debut, three Syrian Jewish sisters in a tight-knit Brooklyn community look for love—and themselves—while navigating the dueling pulls of tradition and modernity.”—Stephanie Butnick, founder of GOLDA “Perceptive and entertaining, Sisters of Fortune is a bold debut novel. Never before have readers seen three generations of Syrian Jewish women rolling yebra (grape leaves) side by side in the kitchen, passing down community values and female expectations like just another treasured family recipe.”—Corie Adjmi, author of The Marriage Box“A warm, wise and utterly enjoyable novel that invites us into the lives of three vibrant sisters, one big-hearted family and a fascinating, close-knit community. Sisters of Fortune is a real delight.”—Tova Mirvis, author of Visible City“In this savvy and heartwarming debut, three Syrian Jewish sisters in a tight-knit Brooklyn community look for love—and themselves—while navigating the dueling pulls of tradition and modernity.”—Stephanie Butnick, founder of GOLDA “Esther Chehebar is a Jewish Jane Austen exploring the universal themes of sisterhood, advantageous marriage, and community dynamics.”—Jill Kargman, creator of Odd Mom Out“Esther Chehebar writes with an open heart and a curiosity about seeing where she is from—a place so much bigger than her—that can help us access the same kind of courage to narrate and have fun with our own stories.”—Leandra Medine, author of Man Repeller“Sisters of Fortune is part coming-of-age story, part slice-of-life exploration of conservative Syrian Jewish life in America. This debut is fun and engaging, featuring alternating points of view among the sisters.”—Booklist 

Esther Chehebar is a contributing writer at Tablet magazine, where she covers Sephardic Jewish tradition and community, and a member of Sephardic Bikur Holim, a non-profit supporting the growing Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn. She holds an MFA from the New School and has had her work featured in Glamour and Man Repeller. Chehebar’s first book, I Share My Name, was an illustrated children’s book explaining the Sephardic tradition of naming children for their grandparents. She lives in New York with her husband, their kids, their Ori-Pei named Jude, and a couple of fish. This is her debut novel.