First published 1974
These seventeen stories transport readers into the world of Eastern European Jewish communities and their American descendants. Singer introduces characters caught between tradition and modernity, faith and doubt. In the title story, a young woman must choose between earthly love and spiritual devotion. Other tales follow rabbis wrestling with ancient mysteries, immigrants adapting to new lands, and villagers confronting supernatural forces. A matchmaker schemes to unite unlikely couples. A scholar discovers that his lifetime of study cannot protect him from heartbreak. Children navigate the gap between their parents' old world customs and American expectations. Singer writes with the rhythm of oral storytelling, weaving folklore into everyday struggles. His characters face moral dilemmas that test their beliefs about God, family, and community. The stories span generations and continents but share common threads of loss, longing, and the search for meaning in an uncertain world.
Genres: fiction, 20th-century, jewish
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, moral-dilemmas
Setting: America, Eastern Europe
Period: 20th Century
Hardcover · Farrar Strauss Giroux