Book Club Selections

(Play, 109 pp. 1993) This award-winning comedy follows three Jewish-American sisters in the midst of midlife transitions. Their off-stage parents, a crew of friends and lovers, and one daughter complicate their quest for love, self-definition, and fulfillment.   Review: Mel Gussow, New York Times, October 23, 1992 Obituary by Charles…...

(Fiction, 496 pp. 2013) An immigrant tale that combines elements of Jewish and Arab folk mythology, this inventive historical novel describes two supernatural creatures who arrive separately in New York in 1899. They work to create places for themselves in this new world until they meet, becoming friends and soul…...

(Fiction, 480 pp. 2021) In this sequel to The Golem and the Jinni, set in New York City in the early years of the 20th century, the golem Chava Levy and the jinni Ahmad al-Hadid renew their relationship and confront unexpected new challenges in a rapidly changing human world. Guides…...

(Fiction, 496 p. 2019) From the 1950s to the present, sisters Jo and Bethie Kaufman struggle to find their places—and be true to themselves—in a rapidly evolving America. Discussion questions from LitLovers Discussion questions from Book Club Chat Kirkus Review Review by Ariele Fredman, Off the Shelf, April 10, 2020…...

(Nonfiction, 496 p. 2020)Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and our nation’s fate. Linking the rigid hierarchy of human rankings in America, India, and Nazi Germany, the book explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including…...

(Fiction, 568 pp. Hebrew, 2001; English translation, 2004) Yehoshua focuses on the family and professional life of a Haifa professor of Near Eastern Studies to reveal a web of relationships linking characters from diverse sectors of Israeli society.  Rich in detail and humor, the novel deftly explores the deep divides…...

(Fiction, 336 p. Hebrew, 2018; English translation, 2020) This suspenseful and poignant story of a Jerusalem family coping with the sudden mental decline of their beloved husband and father – an engineer who they discover is involved in a secret military project – explores issues of identity, independence and loss.…...

(Fiction, 297 pp. 1925) Bread Givers gives voice to the immigrant Jewish woman’s struggle as, in unadorned prose, the harsh world of a young woman without resources or external support is graphically represented. We cheer, we sigh, and we shake our heads in disbelief as our heroine pushes the boundaries…...

(Fiction, 384 p. Hebrew 2013; English translation 2016) Set against the golden age of Hollywood, the dark days of World War II, and the swinging ’70s, Gabriella recounts the story of her mother, Luna, uncovering shocking secrets, forbidden romances, and a family curse. This intergenerational saga, following unforgettable women as they…...

(Fiction, 416 pp. 2022) A chance hospital encounter as b’nai mitzvah-age kids over Super Mario Bros. sparks Sam Masur’s and Sadie Green’s lifelong bond. Their friendship builds on an abiding intellectual intimacy, initiating a partnership transcending distance, disability, self-doubt, conflicting loyalties, estrangement, and tragedy. Together, as brilliant game designers, they…...