by Herman Wouk
First published 2012
Margo Solovei wants to direct a film about Moses. The brilliant young filmmaker has turned away from her rabbi father's Orthodox world to build a career in Hollywood. When an Australian billionaire offers to bankroll the Moses project, Margo faces strict conditions for his backing. She must win approval from Herman Wouk, the celebrated novelist who has spent decades dreaming of his own Moses story. The quest forces Margo to reconnect with her former lover, a powerful entertainment lawyer who still stirs complicated feelings. Meanwhile, Wouk and his wife Betty Sarah find themselves drawn into the movie's orbit despite their reservations. The story unfolds through emails, text messages, journal entries, and recorded conversations as characters navigate the pull between tradition and ambition. Margo must reconcile her artistic vision with her Jewish heritage while confronting unresolved romance and family expectations.
Genres: fiction, drama, literary-fiction, family-life, contemporary, jewish
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, reconciliation, tradition-vs-ambition
Setting: Hollywood, Orthodox World
Period: Contemporary
234 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster