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2 Hawthorne Literature- A to Z

Kaaterskill Falls

by Allegra Goodman

Kaaterskill Falls Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In the summer of '76, the Shulmans and the Melishes migrate to Kaaterskill, the tiny town in upstate New York where Orthodox Jews and Yankee year-rounders live side by side from June through August. Elizabeth Shulman, a devout follower of Rav Elijah Kirshner and the mother of five daughters, is restless. She needs a project of her own, outside her family and her cloistered community. Across the street, Andras Melish is drawn to Kaaterskill by his adoring older sisters, bound to him by their loss and wrenching escape from the Holocaust. Both comforted and crippled by his sisters' love, Andras cannot overcome the ambivalence he feels toward his children and his own beautiful wife. At the top of the hill, Rav Kirshner is coming to the end of his life, and he struggles to decide which of his sons should succeed him: the pious but stolid Isaiah, or the brilliant but worldly Jeremy. Behind the scenes, alarmed as his beloved Kaaterskill is overdeveloped by Michael King, the local real estate broker, Judge Miles Taylor keeps an old secret in check, biding his time....

Review:

Praise for Allegra Goodman:

"The brushstrokes seemingly casual yet sure, always the exact—and unlikely—equivalent of a shadow or reflected gleam."—Anna Shapiro, New York Newsday

"An astonishing display of virtuosity."—Los Angeles Times on Total Immersion

"Exceptionally well written: funny, wise, keenly observed....One of the most maddening and recognizable families to come along in years...an enchanting book."—Michiko Kakutani in The New York Times on The Family Markowitz

From the Hardcover edition.

Synopsis:

It is 1976. And the tiny upstate New York town of Kaaterskill Falls is bustling with summer people in dark coats, fedoras, and long, modest dresses. Living side by side with Yankee year-rounders, they are the disciples of Rav Elijah Kirshner. Elizabeth Shulman is a restless wife and mother of five daughters; her imagination transcends her cloistered community. Across the street Andras Melish is drawn to Kaaterskill by his adoring older sisters. Comforted, yet crippled by his sisters' love, he cannot overcome the ambivalence he feels toward his own children and his young wife. At the top of the hill, Rav Kirshner is nearing the end of his life. As he struggles to decide which of his sons should succeed him — the pious but stolid Isaiah or the brilliant but rebellious Jeremy — his followers wrestle with their future and their past. With this community, Allegra Goodman weaves magic. The national bestselling author of The Family Markowitz crafts a tale of family and tradition — one that confirms this young author's place as a virtuoso of her generation.

About the Author

Allegra Goodman's work has appeared in The New Yorker, Allure, Food and Wine, Vogue, Commentary, and Slate. She is the recipient of a Whiting Award, and the Salon Magazine award for fiction. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she is at work on a second novel.

Product Details

ISBN:
9780385323901
Author:
Goodman, Allegra
Publisher:
Dell Publishing Company
Location:
New York
Subject:
General
Subject:
Fiction
Subject:
Jews
Subject:
Family saga
Subject:
Jewish women
Subject:
New York
Subject:
Jewish families
Subject:
Summer resorts
Subject:
New york (state)
Subject:
Domestic fiction
Copyright:
Series Volume:
no. 240
Publication Date:
August 1999
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Pages:
336
Dimensions:
8.08x5.30x.88 in. .62 lbs.

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