Download or read book Shlomo Travels to Warsaw written by Maura Vaughn and published by Stillpoint Digital Press. This book was released on 2012-12-01 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Take a trip to the silliest town in the world! The town of Chelm is famous for having the silliest townspeople in the world. And the silliest one of all was Shlomo the Dreamer.... Follow Shlomo on his journey as he leaves Chelm behind on the first day of Hanukkah to visit the city of his dreams, and finds that it looks very familiar!
Download or read book Winter Tales written by David Kudler and published by Stillpoint Digital Press. This book was released on 2022-10-28 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Even at the darkest times, there is light Around the world, people celebrate the winter solstice by sharing tales of to celebrate the joy and generosity of the holiday season. Retold by David Kudler & Maura Vaughn, here are three traditional stories to delight, touch, and amuse children of all ages: The Seven Gods of Luck: Sachiko and Kenji just want to welcome the new year in the proper way, but their mother tells them they don't have the money for a New Year's feast. An act of generosity brings help from an unexpected source in this heartwarming Japanese classic. May the Seven Gods of Luck visit you! How Raven Brought Back the Light: Some heroes are strong. Some are brave. And some, like Raven, are clever. In this adaptation from a beloved tale out of the Pacific Northwest, Raven outwits the Old Chief of the tribe that lives above the sky and brings sunlight back to a grateful world Shlomo Travels to Warsaw: The town of Chelm is known for having the silliest townspeople in the world. And the silliest one of all was Shlomo the Dreamer....Follow Shlomo on his journey as he leaves Chelm behind on the first day of Hanukkah to visit the city of his dreams, and finds that it looks very familiar! These tales remind us all that, even in the darkest times, the light will always return. (World folktales for children — Japanese, Native American, and Jewish; winter holidays, solstice, New Year, generosity, sharing)
Download or read book Waiting for Kuniko written by David Kudler and published by Stillpoint Digital Press. This book was released on 2021-08-01 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A chance encounter behind enemy lines A Risuko prequel short story Mieko is waiting at a rendezvous behind enemy lines. In the rain. Without a hat. The person who comes up the road is the last person she expected to encounter. Preview: Mieko wanted to leave. She was waiting on a worn stone shrine beneath a dripping red pine. Rain was falling, and she had been waiting here, slowly getting wet, since the clouds had sloshed in around midday. She and Kuniko had split, Mieko searching the area on the south side of the valley while Kuniko searched in the village on the north side. They were looking for young Sachi and Hoshi, the two newest kunoichi, who were supposed to have checked in from their mission at dawn. Mieko wasn’t worried — not really. Kuniko was more than capable of taking care of herself, and Sachi and Hoshi weren’t stupid. Their mission was a fairly simple one: wander up to Tiptown, where the Uesugi commander kept the headquarters for this part of the province, and see if any of the soldiers might let something slip to a couple of pretty girls. It was a mission that Mieko and Kuniko could have done in their sleep — had done more than once — but it seemed like a good, straightforward test for the two younger girls. The two newly initiated kunoichi. But they were behind enemy lines, and they hadn’t arrived at the rendezvous at the roadside shrine this morning. And while Mieko had wanted to charge up to Tiptown to make sure the girls were safe, Kuniko had sensibly pointed out that they had probably just lost track of time or gotten turned around. And so she had suggested that they split up and search this part of the valley before heading into the enemy’s stronghold. They’d agreed to meet up on the main road at this battered old shrine to some nameless forest god. They’d agreed to meet at the hour of the horse — noon, which would give them plenty of daylight to make their way to Tiptown, if they had to. And Mieko had quickly confirmed that no, Sachi and Hoshi weren’t at either of the forest shrines further off the road, nor at any of the farms that dotted the southern side of the valley. And then she’d returned to their meeting point and, as the rain began to fall, she waited. And waited. She wanted to leave, but she couldn’t. She was waiting for Kuniko. And Sachi and Hoshi. Mieko sighed, wiping the drizzle from her eyelashes. She should have worn a hat. A movement to her left startled her —
Download or read book Deadly Blossoms written by David Kudler and published by Stillpoint Digital Press. This book was released on 2022-04-08 with total page 67 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Meet Lady Chiyome’s Army of “Deadly Blossoms” — Before Risuko Does! After a century of brutal civil war has torn Japan apart, Lady Mochizuki Chiyome gathers together the most unlikely army imaginable to unite the empire and bring an end to the bloodshed: an army of girls clad in the red and white garb of miko, shrine maidens. An army of kunoichi. Together, these girls work as spies, as bodyguards, as assassins — going where no soldier could go, doing what no soldier could do. Here are six stories of the kunoichi, set before the award-winning Seasons of the Sword novels (Risuko and Bright Eyes): 1 - White Robes — Mired in her own grief, Lady Mochizuki Chiyome encounters two young women who give her a whole new, much more interesting opportunity 2 - Silk & Service — A young Takeda warrior meets a servant who is much more than she seems 3 - Waiting for Kuniko — Mieko is waiting at a rendezvous behind enemy lines. In the rain. Without a hat. The person who comes up the road is the last person she expected to encounter. 4 - Wild Mushrooms — A Hōjō commander is delighted when two pretty young shrine maidens enter his camp on the evening before a battle. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been. 5 - Ghost — At a banquet to celebrate a new alliance, Chiyome contemplates murder, and discovers a new servant 6 - Schools for Talented Youngsters: Monthly Headmistresses’ Dinner — Three unique ladies get together once a month to share the joys and challenges involved teaching young ladies with very particular... talents. (Historical fantasy/crossover) Preview (from “White Robes”) Chiyome considers the two girls, still dressed in their oh-so-innocent miko garb. They are standing now, no pretense of humility. Kuniko’s face is dark, her nostrils flaring. Mieko looks as if she’s been enjoying a lovely nighttime stroll, except for the dark circles in the middle of her cheeks and the splash of dark red across her white sleeve. “Well, well, well,” Chiyome laughs. “Aren’t you two entertaining.” “Yes, my lady,” Kuniko grunts through clenched teeth. Mieko says nothing. [...] An image: a beautiful screen Chiyome saw at the imperial palace, when her father brought her there to observe some ceremony or other. The screen seemed to her child’s imagination to have shown the whole of Japan, peopled by thousands of figures: armed samurai, elegant nobles, monks, merchants, and, scattered throughout, young girls in red and white. An army. An anonymous army. Invisible. Able to go everywhere. Able to gather information. Able to strike. With her toe Chiyome writes on the dusty floorboards: ku (く), then no (ノ), and then finally ichi (一). “Can you two read?” Kuniko scowls down at the marks. “Nine... in... one?” Mieko’s peers at Chiyome. She murmurs, “Kunoichi.” Kuniko blinks at her companion. “Kuno... What’s a kunoichi?” Mieko’s eyes remain on Chiyome. She knows. “Ah,” says Chiyome, grinning to herself, “it is... a very special kind of woman. Tell me, ladies. Would you like to end this ridiculous war? Would you like to be kunoichi?” “Yes, my lady,” the girls answer. Kuniko’s eyes are dark, but Mieko’s glisten.
Download or read book The Eleventh Plague written by Jeremy Brown and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2023 with total page 505 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written in a lively and compelling style, this book explains the hidden relationship between Judaism and the world of infectious disease. It combines history, medicine, science, and religion and gives us a new appreciation of how Jews and Judaism have been deeply shaped by plagues and pandemics, from ancient times up to the present.
Download or read book Risuko written by David Kudler and published by Stillpoint Digital Press. This book was released on 2016-06-15 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Samurai, assassins, warlords -- and a girl who likes to climb A historical coming-of-age tale of a young girl who is purchased away from her family to become an assassin. Can she come to terms with who she must be? Though Japan has been devastated by a century of civil war, Risuko just wants to climb trees. Growing up far from the battlefields and court intrigues, the fatherless girl finds herself pulled into a plot that may reunite Japan -- or may destroy it. She is torn from her home and what is left of her family, but finds new friends at a school that may not be what it seems. One of the students — or perhaps one of the teachers — is playing the kitsune. The mischievous fox spirit is searching for… something. What do they want? And what will they do to find it? Magical but historical, Risuko follows her along the first dangerous steps to discovering who she truly is. The first volume of the Seasons of the Sword series! Can one girl win a war? Kano Murasaki, called Risuko (Squirrel) is a young, fatherless girl, more comfortable climbing trees than down on the ground. Yet she finds herself enmeshed in a game where the board is the whole nation of Japan, where the pieces are armies, moved by scheming lords, and a single girl couldn't possibly have the power to change the outcome. Or could she? Historical adventure fiction appropriate for teen readers As featured in Kirkus, Foreword, and on the cover of Publishers Weekly! Tight, exciting, and thoughtful... The characters are nicely varied and all the pieces fit into place deftly. -- Kirkus Reviews Risuko is an artfully crafted novel that evokes a heavy sense of place and enchantment.... Risuko's development and evolution are fascinating to watch in this powerful and relentless coming-of-age adventure. -- Foreword Reviews (spotlight review) Vividly portrayed, flush with cultural detail, and smoothly written. -- BookLife
Download or read book White Robes written by David Kudler and published by Stillpoint Digital Press. This book was released on 2021-08-09 with total page 25 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of history’s most amazing armies is born — And its soldiers wear silk robes Lady Mochizuki Chiyome is mired in grief. Recently widowed by Japan’s endless civil war, she has become tired of mourning, tired of wearing the white robes that are the traditional Japanese garb of grief. On the road, she encounters two young women who open her eyes to a whole new purpose in life — and a new way to end Japan's century of bloodshed. (Historical adventure short story.) This is the first of the Kunoichi Companion Tales, prequel stories to David Kudler’s historical novel Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale: 1. White Robes — Mired in her own grief, Lady Mochizuki Chiyome encounters two young women who give her a whole new, much more interesting opportunity (now available!) 2. Silk & Service — A young Takeda warrior meets a servant who is much more than she seems (now available!) 3. Waiting for Kuniko — Mieko is waiting at a rendezvous behind enemy lines. In the rain. Without a hat. The person who comes up the road is the last person she expected to encounter. 4. Wild Mushrooms — A Hōjō commander is delighted when two pretty young shrine maidens enter his camp on the evening before a battle. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been. 5. Ghost — At a banquet to celebrate a new alliance, Chiyome contemplates murder, and discovers a new servant (now available!) 6. Schools for Talented Youngsters: Monthly Headmistresses’ Dinner — Three unique ladies get together once a month to share the joys and challenges involved teaching young ladies with very particular... talents. (Historical fantasy/crossover — now available!) Coming soon: Shining Boy — Plucked off of the streets of the capital, an orphan girl tries to figure out what story she’s wandered into Coming soon: Blade — Toumi doesn’t want anyone messing with her business Coming soon: Little Brother — Returning to the monastery turns out to be as hard as leaving it was
Download or read book How Raven Brought Back the Light written by David Kudler and published by Stillpoint Digital Press. This book was released on 2014-12-08 with total page 29 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Some heroes are strong. Some are brave. And some, like Raven, are clever. In this adaptation from a beloved tale out of the Pacific Northwest, Raven outwits the Old Chief of the tribe that lives above the sky and brings sunlight back to a grateful world. Like winter stories told around the world, this third selection in Stillpoint/Atalanta's Winter Tales series is a fun reminder that even in the darkest times, there is always light coming.
Download or read book Winter into Spring written by David Kudler and published by Stillpoint/Atalanta. This book was released on 2024-03-12 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Can One Girl Save A School? Contains Risuko and Bright Eyes, as well as six prequel stories! Kano Murasaki, called Risuko (Squirrel) is a young, fatherless girl, more comfortable climbing trees than down on the ground. Yet she finds herself enmeshed in a game where the board is the whole nation of Japan, where the pieces are armies moved by scheming lords, and a single girl couldn’t possibly have the power to change the outcome. Or could she? "Kano Murasaki, you may not realize it, but I have done you a great favor. I have it in my power to give you a gift that you don’t even realize you desire. Make yourself worth my trouble, and you will be glad of it. Disappoint me, and you will be very, very sorry." At the Full Moon, an isolated mountain school for training young women to become shrine maidens (and much more), Risuko finds friends, challenges, and danger. Intrigue, poison, invasion, murder — she must survive from winter into spring if she is going to figure out who she is truly going to be. This thrilling collection contains the first two novels in the award-winning teen historical fiction series Seasons of the Sword. In addition, Winter into Spring includes a half-dozen short stories set before the novels, exploring the characters and world: a sixteenth-century Japan torn by over a century of civil war. PRAISE FOR RISUKO: ”Tight, exciting, and thoughtful!” — Kirkus “Risuko is an artfully crafted novel that evokes a heavy sense of place and enchantment…. Risuko’s development and evolution are fascinating to watch in this powerful and relentless coming-of-age adventure.” — Foreword Reviews (spotlight review) “Vividly portrayed, flush with cultural detail, and smoothly written.” — BookLife PRAISE FOR BRIGHT EYES: “Bright Eyes is imaginative, original, exceptionally well written, and highly recommended” — Midwest Book Review “An enthralling. unputdownable tale! […] The well-crafted mystery, well-honed history and world-building, and Risuko’s adventurousness leave the reader wanting more.” — Shailyn Rogers, Ind’Tale Magazine “The author crafts a highly unique and captivating world in the pages of Bright Eyes.” — BookLife
Download or read book Wild Mushrooms written by David Kudler and published by Stillpoint Digital Press. This book was released on 2020-09-25 with total page 23 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When eternity comes to visit A Hojo commander is delighted when two pretty young shrine maidens enter his camp on the evening before a battle. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been. A Risuko prequel story showing Mieko and Kuniko on a mission — at their sweetest and at their most deadly. Preview: Sugi wasn’t given to fancies. He was a good Buddhist; the old gods and spirits had never interested him much. But [...] these two girls, in their miko garb, standing on the edge of what would be a battlefield the next day, popping up like wild mushrooms — they gave him exactly the same feeling. The feeling that he was face to face with the eternal. It was not an easy feeling. He smiled to cover his discomfort. “Young ladies, how may I help you? This is not a place for such lovely girls.” Biting her lip, the delicate one glanced over to the tall one, who gave an impassive nod. Apparently reassured, the smaller girl turned back to Sugi, her eyes decorously downcast. “My lord general, sir. We didn’t mean to be here. We’re on our way from Estuary to the shrine at Picnic Lake. We were told by the priest to follow the road up that valley, there.” She tipped her head past the Takeda garrison. “Those soldiers over there, they were... not very nice.” The tall, square-faced girl gave a grunt and scowled. “Took our food.” “I’m sorry to hear that,” said Sugi, solemnly. He lifted his chin. “Would you lovely ladies care to join me and my soldiers for our evening meal?” The smaller, prettier girl held a hand in front of her mouth. “Oh. My lord. We could not —” “I insist. And you shall sleep in my tent. I will... guard the door.” He gave a slight bow. Since, after all, they were spirits. The pretty girl started to object, but the bigger one put her hand on the other’s shoulder. “We’re hungry.” “Of course, my dears. I am sure my soldiers would be delighted to have you join them this evening.” In his mind, Sugi could see it: these two young beauties (well, one beauty, the other... handsome), laughing and singing with his soldiers on this, the night before their legendary victory. It would become part of his fame. And perhaps... He smiled at his own runaway imagination. “Come. It smells as if the supper will soon be ready.” (Historical adventure short — Japanese Civil War era, battlefield romance, women assassins, Shintō spirits)
Download or read book Kano A Kunoichi Tale written by David Kudler and published by Stillpoint Digital Press. This book was released on 2024-04-30 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Can one girl save a nation? With Japan's future in the balance, Risuko may recover the Kano clan's honor — or she may destroy it forever Lord Takeda has sent Risuko, Emi, and Toumi on a mission to the capital. The road is dangerous. The destination is treacherous. Risuko — the girl who just likes to climb — must make a choice that will have repercussions not only for Risuko's life and those of her friends, but possibly for all of Japan. In this thrilling third book in the Seasons of the Sword, she encounters old friends, new enemies, and a strange boy from a far-off land called Portugal. Through raging battles and deadly court intrigue, Risuko must follow a path narrower and less stable than any pine branch. And the consequences should she fail are sharp and hard as rocks below. The red-and-white disguise of the kunoichi awaits. Is Risuko ready? Seasons of the Sword: 1 - Risuko (Winter) 2 - Bright Eyes (Spring) 3 - Kano (Summer — coming April 30, 2024!) 4 - Autumn — coming soon! (Young adult historical adventure; Japanese Civil War) Projected release, April 30, 2024
Download or read book They Were Just People written by Bill Tammeus and published by University of Missouri Press. This book was released on 2009-09-01 with total page 447 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hitler’s attempt to murder all of Europe’s Jews almost succeeded. One reason it fell short of its nefarious goal was the work of brave non-Jews who sheltered their fellow citizens. In most countries under German control, those who rescued Jews risked imprisonment and death. In Poland, home to more Jews than any other country at the start of World War II and location of six German-built death camps, the punishment was immediate execution. This book tells the stories of Polish Holocaust survivors and their rescuers. The authors traveled extensively in the United States and Poland to interview some of the few remaining participants before their generation is gone. Tammeus and Cukierkorn unfold many stories that have never before been made public: gripping narratives of Jews who survived against all odds and courageous non-Jews who risked their own lives to provide shelter. These are harrowing accounts of survival and bravery. Maria Devinki lived for more than two years under the floors of barns. Felix Zandman sought refuge from Anna Puchalska for a night, but she pledged to hide him for the whole war if necessary—and eventually hid several Jews for seventeen months in a pit dug beneath her house. And when teenage brothers Zygie and Sol Allweiss hid behind hay bales in the Dudzik family’s barn one day when the Germans came, they were alarmed to learn the soldiers weren’t there searching for Jews, but to seize hay. But Zofia Dudzik successfully distracted them, and she and her husband insisted the boys stay despite the danger to their own family. Through some twenty stories like these, Tammeus and Cukierkorn show that even in an atmosphere of unimaginable malevolence, individuals can decide to act in civilized ways. Some rescuers had antisemitic feelings but acted because they knew and liked individual Jews. In many cases, the rescuers were simply helping friends or business associates. The accounts include the perspectives of men and women, city and rural residents, clergy and laypersons—even children who witnessed their parents’ efforts. These stories show that assistance from non-Jews was crucial, but also that Jews needed ingenuity, sometimes money, and most often what some survivors called simple good luck. Sixty years later, they invite each of us to ask what we might do today if we were at risk—or were asked to risk our lives to save others.
Download or read book Bright Eyes written by David Kudler and published by Stillpoint/Atalanta. This book was released on 2022-05-05 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Can one girl stop a killer? The future of Japan hangs in the balance, and it's up to a girl who likes to climb to save the day Two armies have descended on the Full Moon, and the war that has torn Japan apart for over a century threatens to destroy Lady Chiyome's school for young shrine maidens (and assassins). In this thrilling sequel to Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale, Risuko must face warlords, samurai, angry cooks, a monster in the hills, the truth about her father, a spy among the kunoichi... And a murderer. Someone kills a Takeda lieutenant, staging it to look like suicide. Can Risuko figure out who would do such thing? And can she keep it from happening again? Reviews: "Once again David Kudler has fully succeeded as a novelist with a genuine flair for historical fiction populated by memorably crafted characters and decidedly entertaining plot twists and turns. Like the first novel in the author's 'Seasons of the Sword' series, Bright Eyes is imaginative, original, exceptionally well written, and highly recommended" - Midwest Book Review
Download or read book Me esh Tam written by Moshe Aharon Stern and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Holocaust Journey written by Martin Gilbert and published by Rosetta Books. This book was released on 2015-08-17 with total page 580 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A travelogue, spanning two weeks, of the essential sites of the Holocaust, by the venerable historian and author . . . [A] soul-searching trip” (Kirkus Reviews). In 1996, prominent Holocaust historian Sir Martin Gilbert embarked on a fourteen-day journey into the past with a group of his graduate students from University College, London. Their destination? Places where the terrible events of the Holocaust had left their mark in Europe. From the railway lines near Auschwitz to the site of Oskar Schindler’s heroic efforts in Cracow, Poland, Holocaust Journey features intimate personal meditations from one of our greatest modern historians, and is supported by wartime documents, letters, and diaries—as well as over fifty photographs and maps by the author—all of which help interweave Gilbert’s trip with his students with the surrounding history of the towns, camps, and other locations visited. The result is a narrative of the Holocaust that ties the past to the present with poignancy and power. “Gilbert . . . is a dedicated guide to this difficult material. We can be grateful for his thoroughness, courage and guidance.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review
Download or read book Journey to a Nineteenth Century Shtetl written by Yekhezkel Kotik and published by Wayne State University Press. This book was released on 2008-04-09 with total page 543 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first annotated English edition of a classic early-twentieth-century Yiddish memoir that vividly describes Jewish life in a small Eastern European town. Originally published in Warsaw in 1913, this beautifully written memoir offers a panoramic description of the author’s experiences growing up in Kamieniec Litewski, a Polish shtetl connected with many important events in the history of nineteenth-century Eastern European Jewry. Although the way of life portrayed in this memoir has disappeared, the historical, cultural, and folkoric material it contains will be of major interest to historians and general readers alike. Kotik’s story is the saga of a wealthy and influential family through four generations. Masterfully interwoven in this tale are colorful vignettes featuring Kotik’s family and neighbors, including rabbis and zaddikim, merchants and the poor, hasidim and mitnaggedim, scholars and illiterates, believers and heretics, matchmakers and informers, and teachers and musicians. Stories of personal warmth and despair intermingle with descriptions of the rise and decline of Jewish communal institutions and descriptions or the relationships between Jews, Russian authorities, and Polish lords. Such events as the brutal decrees of Tsar Nicholas I, the abolishment of the Jewish communal board known as the Kahal, and the Polish revolts against Russia are reflected in the lives of these people. The English edition includes a complete translation of the first volume of memoirs and contains notes elucidating terms, names, and customs, as well as bibliographical references to the research literature. The book not only acquaints new readers with the talent of a unique storyteller but also presents an important document of Jewish life during a fascinating era.
Download or read book The Books of Jacob written by Olga Tokarczuk and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2022-02-01 with total page 993 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A NEW YORKER “ESSENTIAL READ” “Just as awe-inspiring as the Nobel judges claimed.” – The Washington Post “Olga Tokarczuk is one of our greatest living fiction writers. . . This could well be a decade-defining book akin to Bolaño’s 2666.” –AV Club “Sophisticated and ribald and brimming with folk wit. . . The comedy in this novel blends, as it does in life, with genuine tragedy.” –Dwight Garner, The New York Times LONGLISTED FOR THE 2022 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, TIME, THE NEW YORKER, AND NPR The Nobel Prize–winner’s richest, most sweeping and ambitious novel yet follows the comet-like rise and fall of a mysterious, messianic religious leader as he blazes his way across eighteenth-century Europe. In the mid-eighteenth century, as new ideas—and a new unrest—begin to sweep the Continent, a young Jew of mysterious origins arrives in a village in Poland. Before long, he has changed not only his name but his persona; visited by what seem to be ecstatic experiences, Jacob Frank casts a charismatic spell that attracts an increasingly fervent following. In the decade to come, Frank will traverse the Hapsburg and Ottoman empires with throngs of disciples in his thrall as he reinvents himself again and again, converts to Islam and then Catholicism, is pilloried as a heretic and revered as the Messiah, and wreaks havoc on the conventional order, Jewish and Christian alike, with scandalous rumors of his sect’s secret rituals and the spread of his increasingly iconoclastic beliefs. The story of Frank—a real historical figure around whom mystery and controversy swirl to this day—is the perfect canvas for the genius and unparalleled reach of Olga Tokarczuk. Narrated through the perspectives of his contemporaries—those who revere him, those who revile him, the friend who betrays him, the lone woman who sees him for what he is—The Books of Jacob captures a world on the cusp of precipitous change, searching for certainty and longing for transcendence. In a nod to books written in Hebrew, The Books of Jacob is paginated in reverse, beginning on p. 955 and ending on p. 1 – but read traditionally, front cover to back.
