This past year brought us a plethora of incredible reads from Jewish authors. Our Three to Read selections for this week represent a mere handful of those books, but they are vast in scope, spanning hidden histories and imagined futures. With meditations on trauma, surviving as an Other, and making difficult choices for the sake of survival, these novels are worthy additions to your bookshelf.
Trigger Warning: The books discussed in the article contain references to or depictions of potentially distressing content, including war, violence, bigotry, grief, mental health issues, and spousal abuse. Please exercise personal care while reading.
HOT PICK
Kaplan’s Plot by Jason Diamond
SUMMARY:
Elijah Mendes’s life is in shambles. After his Silicon Valley startup fails, he returns defeatedly to his hometown of Chicago, where his mother, Eve, is dying of cancer. Elijah’s situation seems bleak — until he uncovers startling new information about his family. Not only do they own a Jewish cemetery, but one of the graves belongs to a relative he’s never heard of: a great uncle, Solomon Kaplan. As a newly invigorated Elijah dives headfirst into his family’s history, he discovers his grandfather, Yitz, was a ruthless mobster. Unraveling the mystery of Yitz’s sordid past might just help Elijah and Eve mend their troubled relationship.
WHY:
Alternating between Yitz’s 1920s Chicago and the present day, Jason Diamond’s fiction debut delves into the history (and necessity) of Jewish American organized crime. Yitz and Sol’s descent into the city’s seedy underbelly is a fight for survival in a hostile country, one that holds lasting consequences for themselves and their families. Rich with intrigue, action, and drama, Kaplan’s Plot presents a dramatic portrait of generational trauma and how even the most secret of pasts can haunt us.
COFFEE SHOP READ
Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngart
SUMMARY:
The United States is collapsing, and with it, ten-year-old Vera Bradford-Shmulkin’s multicultural family. Her parents’ marriage is on the rocks, her father’s having trouble at work, and her teacher has asked the class to debate a new constitutional amendment granting five-thirds of a vote to descendants of US colonists. Clever, anxious Vera has much on her plate, but really only has three wishes of her own: to make a friend, to keep Daddy and Anne Mom together, and to meet Mom Mom, her Korean birth mother.
WHY:
Precocious Vera charmed numerous readers with her singular voice, which author Gary Shteyngart describes as “an endless sampling of everything around her.” There’s no mistaking her for anyone else — nor is there a better person to walk readers through Shteyngart’s dystopian America. Between AI, self-driving cars, and a push to enshrine nativism (and xenophobia) in the Constitution, the future Vera inhabits feels not too far from our own. Deceptively slim and darkly comic, Vera, or Faith might just be the beacon of light you need in these tumultuous times.
DARK HORSE
The Lure of Their Graves by Laura R. Samotin
SUMMARY:
Despite successfully reclaiming his throne from his traitorous ex-husband, Dimitri Abramovich’s troubles are far from over. With Novo-Svitsevo’s tenuous newfound peace threatened, the tzar’s limited diplomatic options leave him with little choice but to forge a political marriage. But behind closed doors, Dimitri continues to grapple with the effects of the war and his abusive marriage. His only solace is his spymaster, Vasily Sokolov — but ensuring their kingdom’s safety may require them to sacrifice their emerging love.
WHY:
Inspired by Laura R. Samotin’s Eastern European Jewish heritage, this unapologetically queer fantasy is the second installment in the Cursed Crown Duology. The magic of Novo-Svitsevo is rooted in Jewish mysticism and folklore, setting it apart in a genre largely influenced by Christianity. Equally compelling are Samotin’s characters, whose trauma, grief, and heartbreak are rendered with deliberate care. With four more books slated for release in the next two years, Samotin is certainly one to watch — and Dimitri’s story is the perfect introduction to her world.
That’s it for this week’s Three to Read! Join us next week for more amazing recommendations.
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