THE SHOVEL AND THE LOOM

The Shovel And The Loom ($20.00; May 2, 1996;176 pp.; 0-89255-216-6) Another examination of the legacy of the Holocaust from the Dutch author of the highly acclaimed Nightfather (1994). This time, Friedman's story concerns a young woman student, living in the Jewish quarter of Antwerp, whose interest in the principles of Judaism is heightened, and then severely tested, by the haunting figures of her still-living parents, who have survived the concentration camps in contrasting ways (indicated by Friedman's title), and by her affectionate relationship with her employers' small son, a boy in whom she sees the future's promise. A thoughtful and reflective story that simultaneously creates vivid suffering characters and unforgettably harrowing drama.