Book columnist Hannah Srour-Zackon reviews two recent bestsellers that combine history with a Jewish perspective
Mitch Albom and James McBride are authors who stand as poignant testaments to the enduring power of storytelling. Their respective book sales speak to the ability of their stories to resonate with audiences worldwide, without even needing to account for their numerous accolades. Moreover, both have strong Jewish ties which have influenced some of their […]
Sarah Bernstein’s recent Giller Prize-winning novel ‘Study for Obedience’ has an undeniable Jewish undercurrent
When the prestigious Booker prize announced its 2023 longlist in early August, Montreal-born author Sarah Bernstein’s novel Study for Obedience was among the selected works. The following month, it was revealed as one of the Scotiabank Giller Prize’s 2023 longlist selections. It was ultimately named the $100,000 winner of the Giller on Nov. 13—Bernstein was […]
Sephardi women take centre stage in two new coming-of-age novels reviewed by Hannah Srour-Zackon
KantikaElizabeth Graver(Metropolitan Books) The Marriage BoxCorie Adjmi(She Works Press) When I think about the English-language Jewish literary landscape, I also notice what’s missing: the stories of Sephardi Jews. Few people are aware that the very first Jews to come to North America were of Western Sephardic background. And yet, despite a centuries-long presence, there has […]
How a Bob Dylan song unlocked Honey Novick’s artistic life and inspired a new collection of poetry
Honey Novick was 16 or 17 years old the first time someone asked her how she felt. It turned out that simple question would change her life. “Nobody ever asked me that before. I come from a traditional family where girls had expectations and were expected to fulfill those expectations. And they just didn’t suit […]
This newly translated novel about the Jews of modern Egypt makes for timely Passover reading
What if the fabled Seal of Solomon—an item of mystic importance in both Jewish and Muslim myth—were a real object located in Egypt? What impact would it have during the country’s politically tense post-revolution era? This is the central conceit of Sherif Meleka’s dazzling epic novel Suleiman’s Ring, set in mid-20th century Alexandria, which was […]
Canadian Jewish history comes to life in the pages of ‘Faces in the Crowd’ by Franklin Bialystok
I am a self-professed lover of Canadian Jewish history—a passion which set me on my career path as an archivist at Canada’s second-oldest synagogue, Montreal’s Shaar Hashomayim. Yet I often lament how little we as Canadian Jews—and indeed, the rest of Canada and the Jewish diaspora—know of our own history. Franklin Bialystok’s new book has […]
A graphic novel that creatively and respectfully tells the story of three child survivors
But I Live: Three Stories of Child Survivors of the Holocaust, by Miriam Libicki and David Schaffer; Gilad Seliktar, Nico Kamp, and Rolk Kamp; Barbara Yelin and Emmie Arbel; edited by Charlotte Schallié German philosopher Theodor Adorno famously said that “to write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric.” The meaning of this statement has since been […]
Hannah Srour-Zackon explains why the Holocaust novel ‘All the Broken Places’ is a problematic sequel to the flawed ‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’
This has been a pretty great year for books with Jewish content, many of which I’ve written about for The Canadian Jewish News. Most of these reads have deepened and diversified Jewish representation in the publishing landscape. But, as 2022 draws to a close, I need to address one of the biggest bestsellers: All the […]
Close Encounters: ‘The Future is Analog’ author David Sax talks to Canadaland podcaster Jesse Brown about reviving reality
Two good friends squeezed into a tiny room to record a conversation about the challenges of a screen-dominated life, timed to the publication of Sax’s new book, which is subtitled How to Create a More Human World. It’s about how physical proximity is an essential part of appreciating experiences, including Jewish ones. Restoring these connections […]
‘What was the guy who wrote “Suzanne” doing in the Sinai?’: Matti Friedman talked about Leonard Cohen—and his own writing about Israel—during a visit to Montreal
Israeli-Canadian author Matti Friedman’s newest book is Who By Fire: War, Atonement, and the Resurrection of Leonard Cohen, the story of Cohen’s tour of Israel during the Yom Kippur War, Friedman was in Montreal Dec. 1 for an event at the Jewish Public Library and sat down with The CJN’s Hannah Srour-Zackon to talk about […]
