First published 2024
A young man of unknown origins appears in a Polish village during the 1750s. He calls himself Jacob Frank and claims divine visions guide him. His magnetic presence draws followers who believe he speaks for God. Frank leads his disciples across the Habsburg and Ottoman territories, reinventing his identity at each turn. He converts from Judaism to Islam, then to Catholicism, gathering enemies and devotees in equal measure. Religious authorities condemn him as a dangerous heretic while his sect grows in secret. Rumors spread about forbidden rituals and radical teachings that challenge both Jewish and Christian doctrine. Those closest to Frank tell his story through their own eyes: the believers who worship him, the establishment figures who fear him, the friend who ultimately betrays him, and one woman who sees through his carefully constructed facade. Their voices reveal a man whose very existence threatens the religious order of an era already trembling with new ideas and social upheaval.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, cultural
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Poland, Habsburg Territories, Ottoman Territories
Period: 1750s
Hardcover · Riverhead Books