The Smoothest Way Is Full of Stones

Julie Orringer
2003

"The Smoothest Way Is Full of Stones" by Julie Orringer was first published in the literary magazine, Zoetrope: All Story, in 2003. It was reprinted in Orringer's first collection of short stories, How to Breathe Underwater (2003). Orringer has been widely praised for her ability to convey the trials and tribulations of adolescent girls, as well as their ability to emerge successfully from the challenges they face. In "The Smoothest Way Is Full of Stones" a young Jewish girl from New York named Rebecca goes to stay for the summer with Esty, her cousin. Esty and her family are members of a Hasidic sect that has strict religious beliefs and practices which are quite new to Rebecca, who has been raised in a secular environment. As the summer wears on, Rebecca has to deal with her developing awareness of religion and God, as well as her emerging sexuality. These issues come together one hot July Shabbos and are connected with a forbidden book and the disturbing presence of an attractive young man.