A Tale of Love and Darkness

Tragic, comic, and utterly honest, this family saga tells the the story of a boy growing up in the war-torn Jerusalem of the 1940s and '50s. It is also a magical self-portrait of a writer who witnessed the birth of a nation and lived through its turbulent history. nWinner of the National Jewish Book Award nn International Bestseller nn nn An] ingenious work that circles around the rise of a state, the tragic destiny of a mother, a boy's creation of a new self. -- The New Yorker nn nn A family saga and a magical self-portrait of a writer who witnessed the birth of a nation and lived through its turbulent history. A Tale of Love and Darkness is the story of a boy who grows up in war-torn Jerusalem, in a small apartment crowded with books in twelve languages and relatives speaking nearly as many. The story of an adolescent whose life has been changed forever by his mother's suicide. The story of a man who leaves the constraints of his family and community to join a kibbutz, change his name, marry, have children. The story of a writer who becomes an active participant in the political life of his nation. nn nn One of the most enchanting and deeply satisfying books that I have read in many years. -- New Republic