I know it is only January but I might have already read my favorite book of the year. The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englander is about a Jewish family living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Kaddish Poznan, because he is the son of a prostitute, is an outsider not only in Argentine society, but among the Jews that now live in Buenos Aires. He makes a living by sneaking into the disreputable section of the Jewish cemetery to chisel names off tombstones, erasing the disgraceful history of some Jews that have risen within Argentine society. While he is busy erasing the existence of people from the past, his college age son is "disappeared" by the Argentine government. Issues of identity, class, power, hope, and hopelessness are explored in this beautifully written novel.
1 comments:
This was one of my favorite books from those I read in 2007. Steve, I think our reading tastes are similar. I just finished "Bridge of Sighs"...have you read that yet? I recommend it.
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