by Chaim Potok
First published 1981
As a young New York rabbi, Gershon Loran's worldview is shattered when he's deployed as a chaplain during the Korean War. In the midst of chaos, Gershon begins experiencing vivid, unsettling visions that blur the lines between light and dark, good and evil. Torn between his devout beliefs and these disturbing new insights, Gershon must reconcile his understanding of Judaism with the realities of a world in conflict. Will his spiritual journey lead him to a deeper faith, or unravel everything he thought he knew?
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, religion, academic, jewish
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, spiritual-journey
Setting: New York, Korea
Period: Korean War
370 pages · Hardcover · Knopf