First published 1985
Gimpel works as a baker in his small Polish village, where everyone knows him as the town fool. His neighbors delight in telling him wild stories, and Gimpel believes them all. They convince him to marry Elka, a woman already pregnant with another man's child. Gimpel accepts her explanation that the baby came early. Throughout their marriage, Elka continues her affairs while Gimpel raises children that may not be his own. The townspeople mock his gullibility, but Gimpel finds peace in his faith and his willingness to see good in others. When Elka dies, she confesses her deceptions on her deathbed. Gimpel must choose between bitterness and the simple trust that has defined his life. His story explores whether innocence and faith can survive in a world full of cruelty and lies.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, 20th-century, jewish
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: Poland
Period: 20th-century
254 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Fawcett Crest New York