From the Man Booker-nominated author comes an unflinching memoir about family secrets and rediscovered pasts. Raised in a loving family during the 1970s, Alison Pick enjoyed a happy childhood until a teenage discovery shattered her understanding of her heritage. She learned that her grandparents, who escaped from the Czech Republic during WWII, were Jewish and that most of this side of the family perished in concentration camps. This revelation was compounded by the fact that her father had also been unaware of this history until a chance encounter in his twenties, after which he kept the secret from Alison and her sister. In her early thirties, while engaged but battling crippling depression, Alison began to explore her Jewish roots. She realized that reclaiming her identity was essential for her future. However, a significant challenge remained: her mother wasn't Jewish, which meant Alison technically wasn't either. In this raw yet sublime memoir, Alison shares her struggle with faith, her journey to convert to Judaism, and her efforts to confront her past while embracing the future, including starting her own family. Her story is told in crystalline prose, blending the nuance and drama of a novel with profound insights into the lives of those lost and the hope for future generations.
Alison Pick Book order (chronological)
January 1, 1975
Alison Pick is the author of a novel that was nominated for the Man Booker Prize and won the Canadian Jewish Book Award. Her work, met with international acclaim, is frequently featured on best-of lists. Pick focuses on profound human relationships and the complexities of identity, with prose that is both urgent and poetic. As a respected educator, she inspires emerging writers with her insights into the craft of storytelling.
Far to go
- 352 pages
- 13 hours of reading
Includes supplement: "P.S. insights, interviews & more ..."--Cover.