Gripping memoirs by writers who aren’t exactly famous – J. Books coverage is supported by a generous grant from The Milton and Sophie Meyer Fund. We tend to gravitate toward the memoirs of public figures whose lives are already of significance to us. However, as in the case of two…...
What became of Queen Vashti? One Bay One Book program tackles ‘The Book of V.’
Whither Vashti? One Bay One Book program tackles ‘The Book of V.’ The Jewish Community Library has chosen Anna Solomon’s new novel “The Book of V.” for its next One Bay One Book program, a popular, community-wide offering served up annually by S.F.-based Jewish LearningWorks. Published in May, Solomon’s third…...
New Israeli novels explore the weight of memory
New Israeli novels explore the weight of memory – J. Memory informs every aspect of Jewish existence. The late historian Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi, who argued that Jews have always privileged memory over history, posited that “it is possible to see Judaism itself as a technology of memory, a set of…...
On the Riviera, in Bolivia … Jewish historical fiction that travels
On the Riviera, in Bolivia … Jewish historical fiction that travels – J. Two new coming-of-age novels set against memorable geographical and historical backdrops remind me of what I especially value in reading historical fiction: the opportunity to learn about times and places beyond the circumstances of my life. Achilles…...
New biographies paint portraits of two Jewish luminaries (one with S.F. ties)
New biographies paint portraits of two Jewish luminaries Books coverage is supported by a generous grant from The Milton and Sophie Meyer Fund. We depend on biographies to bring giants to our level and offer us entry into otherwise inaccessible worlds. I was glad to see the recent publications of…...
Daughters of the Holocaust uncover old stories in new memoirs
Daughters of the Holocaust uncover old stories in new memoirs – J. Jews place a premium on remembering, and particularly so when it comes to the Holocaust. But how can we recall what we never learned? Two outstanding new memoirs by daughters of Holocaust survivors focus on uncovering the stories…...
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