OF LODZ AND LOVE
by Chava Rosenfarb & translated by Chava Rosenfarb
Of Lodz And Love ($29.95; Oct.; 362 pp.; 0-8156-0577-3). The second volume of Rosenfarb’s The Tree of Life (see above) continues the story of Yacov and Binele as they depart from the shtetl and enter the disturbingly “modern” city of Lodz—as old ways of life are being challenged by various secular imperatives, war draws nearer, and Jewry itself comes under frightening duress. Of Lodz and Love is, technically, a freestanding novel, but offers an infinitely more rewarding experience if read in sequence, following the superb Bociany. Oprah’s Book Club should check out these richly detailed, cumulatively very moving paired novels. They’re wonderful.