Introduction
Set against the backdrop of 1968, Doubles follows the journey of a twelve-year-old girl whose sharp mind and love for mathematics collide with the harsh realities of life inside a residential institution for troubled youth. Over the course of six months, her world shifts dramatically: what begins as the story of a quiet, rule-abiding child gradually transforms into the portrait of a spirited teenager testing boundaries and rebelling against authority.
Through humor, wit, and poignant observation, Nora Gold captures the tension between innocence and defiance, showing how institutional environments can shape — and sometimes distort — the lives of vulnerable children. While rooted in a specific historical moment, the novella resonates today, echoing contemporary conversations about the treatment of young people in care systems and the resilience they must summon to survive.
“Doubles, Nora Gold’s elegant novella about a girl’s descent into sheer loneliness, has something of Mordecai Richler’s merciless wit, and also of Cynthia Ozick’s playfully somber storytelling. But most of all, Doubles reads like the work of an original literary voice—a voice endowed with tenderness, compassion, political memory, and clarity of moral vision. Nora Gold’s fiction keeps breaking one’s heart as it lives on in the reader’s memory.”
—Maxim D. Shrayer, author of A Russian Immigrant and Zion Square
Thematic Analysis of Doubles
1. Math as Order vs. Chaos
- The protagonist’s obsession with mathematics represents her desire for structure, clarity, and predictability in a world that feels unstable.
- Equations and numbers provide a sense of control, contrasting sharply with the disorder of institutional life.
- As she shifts from “good girl” to delinquent, the tension between the neatness of math and the messiness of human behavior becomes a central metaphor.
2. Identity and Transformation
- Math is not just a subject she loves — it’s part of her self-definition.
- Her brilliance in math sets her apart, but also isolates her, mirroring how gifted children often struggle to fit into rigid systems.
- The gradual rebellion she undergoes suggests that even the most logical minds are vulnerable to emotional upheaval when placed in harsh environments.
3. Institutional Critique
- The novella uses the protagonist’s mathematical lens to expose the flaws of residential institutions.
- Just as equations can reveal hidden truths, her perspective uncovers the contradictions of a system meant to protect but often failing its children.
- The story resonates with contemporary awareness of systemic failures in child welfare, including the treatment of Indigenous children.
4. Humor and Resilience
- Math also becomes a source of wit and playfulness. Her spunky personality shines through in how she interprets the world numerically, turning bleak circumstances into moments of humor.
- This resilience underscores the theme that creativity and intellect can be survival tools in oppressive settings.
About author
Dr. Nora Gold is the prize-winning author of five books and the recipient of multiple awards, including a Canadian Jewish Literary Award, a Vine Canadian Jewish Book Award, and a Canada Council translation grant. Her writing has been praised by Alice Munro, Cynthia Ozick, and Publishers Weekly, and has received international acclaim, including from the New York Times Wirecutter, Los Angeles Review of Books, and Hadassah Magazine. A former professor, Gold is also the founder and editor of the prestigious literary journal Jewish Fiction (www.jewishfiction.com), which has published 650 stories originally written in 23 languages. She’s appeared on podcasts in Canada, USA, Spain, India, and Australia, and has wide following on LinkedIn.
Title: Doubles
Author: Nora Gold
Category: Fiction / Women / Historical fiction
Available: Amazon
