Written by Nicole Krauss, Reviewed by Erica
The stories of octogenarian Leo Gursky and 14-year-old Alma Singer come together in this unique novel. Both are unforgettable characters: Leo is an immigrant from Poland who fled the Nazi invasion, Alma is obsessed with wilderness survival and finding a cure for her widowed mother’s loneliness. Krauss does an excellent job keeping the complicated storylines comprehensible, including telling portions of the tale from both Leo and Alma’s point of view, as well as Bird, Alma’s younger brother, and Zvi, the author of a long-lost book called The History of Love. The heartbreak and loss in this tale are made bearable by the permeating humor, such as Leo’s obsession with being seen that makes him purposely spill his coffee in Starbucks, and Bird’s conviction that he is the Messiah. This is one of the most unusual and engaging novels I’ve read.