Set in an old New York Catskills hotel transformed into a Reeducation center, the narrative explores the complexities of #MeToo offenders. The story weaves themes of cunning and craft, filled with double meanings and doppelgangers, creating a thought-provoking exploration of morality and redemption in a contemporary context.
The eight stories collected in this volume are all populated by seekers-of holiness, illumination, liberation, meaning, love. Their journeys unfold in the U.S., Israel, Poland, China, often in the very heart of the Jewish world, and are rendered with an insider's authority. The narrative voice bringing all this to life has been described as fearlessly satiric and subversive, with a moral but not moralizing edge, equally alive to the sacred and the profane, comically absurd to the point of tragedy. From the opening story, 'The Lost Girl' (winner of a National Magazine Award in Fiction) to 'Dead Zone' in the closing pages of this collection, we are confronted with souls unable to rest, unable to find release, searching for their place in this life, and beyond. Between these two stories, we encounter a true believer seeking personal redemption in China ('Forbidden City'), an aged woman longing at the end of her life to find a way back to her mother ('The Plot'), and a man of faith strugg
Exploring themes of transformation and the quest for liberation, the novel features Meena, a Jewish American lesbian, as she navigates her life in India. The narrative intricately weaves together the experiences of three generations of women, including Meena's devout mother, her troubled daughter Maya, and her hedonistic ex-wife Geeta. The story also introduces Shmelke, Meena's charismatic twin brother, and Manika, the Indian servant whose loyalty complicates family dynamics. With a blend of dark humor and poignant prose, the tale delves into the complexities of identity and belonging.
Temima Ba'alatOv, a charismatic woman rabbi, navigates her dual existence between Brooklyn and Jerusalem, facing societal and familial challenges. Her spiritual journey is marked by the early loss of her mother, a complex relationship with her father, and a forced marriage. As she embraces her prophetic voice amidst opposition, her romantic entanglements with influential men propel her toward becoming a significant leader in Israel. The narrative explores themes of empowerment, faith, and the struggle against traditional norms in a patriarchal society.
The narrative explores the morally ambiguous business practices of Maurice and Norman Messer, a father-son duo who exploit the Holocaust for profit. Maurice, a survivor with an exaggerated backstory, and Norman, who revels in a second-generation victimhood, prioritize their agenda over ethics. Their ambitions remain unshaken despite personal tragedies, including the disappearance of Norman's daughter Nechama, who becomes a nun at Auschwitz, and the turmoil surrounding a powerful Holocaust memorial institution taken over by self-proclaimed victims.
Set in the near future within a war-torn Israel, The Jewish War chronicles the rise to power of Jerry Goldberg, a Bronx teen who has devoted his life to hastening the arrival of the Jewish Messiah. Charismatic and ambitious, Jerry changes his name to Yehudi Hagoel and amasses a cadre of followers to help him establish and maintain the God-given boundaries of Palestine. Written with the humor and satire that have won her acclaim, Tova Reich narrates Hagoel's illicit passage to Israel, his coronation as king of secessionist Judea and Samaria, and his ultimate retreat from the Israeli armies.