Best Jewish American Fiction

The New York Times bestseller "A beautiful and elegant account of an ordinary man's unexpected and reluctant descent into heroism during the second world war." All he has to do is design a secret hiding place for a wealthy Jewish man, a space so invisible that even the most determined German officer won't find it. Lucien Bernard—who, like the book's author, is an architect—is offered a large sum of money to outsmart the Gestapo by devising unique hiding places for Jews, though he knows that anyone caught helping them will be tortured and killed by the Germans. Offered a juicy German factory commission that involves working with a Nazi officer who admires architecture and art, Lucien's web weaves more complexly. And when he falls in love with Adele's assistant, rescues a child, and contacts some of the individuals he's saved, the stakes grow higher and Lucien's thoughts turn from money to vengeance. Despite the dangers, Lucien likes fooling the occupying Germans, the money is excellent, and it comes with a lucrative opportunity to design a new factory for the Reich.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Anyone who follows me, knows that I HATE writing reviews and have the highest praise for those of you that are so good."
"Enjoyed the focus on the hiding of important Jews for limited times prior to moving them to other countries."
"a good book--showing good ways for architects to create hiding places 'almost in plain sight."
"because of the french inflection I chose to listen vs read this book..I was not disappointed."
"I'd love to research this more."
"Really enjoyed this book."
"Wonderfully written and engrossing story of a struggling French architect who tries to find work during WWII occupation of Paris."
"A terrific story."

Inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive—and to reunite— We Were the Lucky Ones is a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds. “Love in the face of global adversity? “[Georgia Hunter is] just as courageous as the characters her writing will never let us forget.”— Harper’s Bazaar “Love in the face of global adversity? Hunter sidesteps hollow sentimentality and nihilism, revealing instead the beautiful complexity and ambiguity of life in this extraordinarily moving tale.”— Publishers Weekly. A brave and mesmerizing debut, and a truly tremendous accomplishment.”— Paula McLain , author of The Paris Wife and Circling the Sun. Georgia Hunter pulled me into another world, vivid, horrifying, astonishing, and heartbreaking.”— Lauren Belfer , New York Times bestselling author of And After the Fire , A Fierce Radiance , and City of Light . “ We Were the Lucky Ones is a skillfully woven reimagining of [Hunter’s] own family’s struggle for survival during World War II . This emotionally resonant, gripping portrait of the war is filled with beautifully drawn and wonderfully heroic characters I won’t soon forget.”— Jillian Cantor , author of Margot and The Hours Count. “Georgia Hunter has crafted her own family history into a sprawling, yet still intimate portrait of those swept up in the devastation of war and scattered to the winds. We Were the Lucky Ones is a compelling read, notable for Hunter’s clear portraits of her plucky, resilient family, and for her ability to build suspense and investment without emotional manipulation.”— Courtney Naliboff, ReformJudaism.org.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As a third-generation immigrant, like Hunter, my grandparents came from Poland, and while they were in America before the war, nothing has impacted my heart more than reading this book. Surely my grandparents left behind friends and family and felt similar heartache as the Kurcs did with their beloved country. She has not only written a remarkable piece of literature but the effort that she put forth to gather her family’s history seems to have been no small feat, as you will learn."
"400+ pages read in just 3 days.... yes it is that good."
"To follow the lives of a Jewish family in WW2 Poland and learn what life was like is an experience this book really takes you on."
"Very well written Holocaust story."
"Not too keen on the format jumping from one person to the next."
"I really enjoyed the author's note at the end of the book which told that this book was based on her family."
"Faith in family, encouragement, and love to keep each other going during a time of extreme chaos and then thankfulness together in the end."

“A luminous, Marquez-esque tale” ( O, The Oprah Magazine ) from the New York Times bestselling author of The Museum of Extraordinary Things : a forbidden love story set on a tropical island about the extraordinary woman who gave birth to painter Camille Pissarro—the Father of Impressionism. “A work of art” ( Dallas Morning News ), The Marriage of Opposites showcases the beloved, bestselling Alice Hoffman at the height of her considerable powers. `Alice Hoffman's fictionalised biography of Rachel Pizzarro's life is an evocative, sensitive and historically rich portrayal of a woman living ahead of her time' * The Observer on The Marriage of Opposites * `Hoffman is a master of evocatively described places . This captivating novel transports the reader to a sensual world of lush tropical landscapes, colonial opulence and conflicted passions' * The Lady on The Marriage of Opposites * `What is it that makes American authors excel at depicting marriage? As intoxicating as the finest island rum' * Independent on The Marriage of Opposites * Alice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including The Rules of Magic , The Marriage of Opposites , Practical Magic , The Red Garden , the Oprah’s Book Club selection Here on Earth , The Museum of Extraordinary Things , and The Dovekeepers .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman is a beautifully atmospheric work of historical fiction set in the 19th century on the tropical island of St. Thomas where the reader learns about the life of Rachel Pomie, who later becomes known as the mother of the famous painter Camille Pissarro, the father of Impressionism, and while I would have delighted in reading a book entirely about Pissarro’s life, his mother’s life is extraordinarily intriguing."
"In this case, the story concerns not a famous person, but the mother of a famous person. The person's fame has nothing, as far as I can tell, to do with the story (of the mother)."
"Alice Hoffman weaves an intricate tale of love and loss, of mixed cultures and of history."
"I really couldn't connect with the characters or find enjoyable the superstitions and religious constraints maintained by them."
"While the personal thoughts of the characters are all fictional, the author does a good job of making them realistic and compelling. The book also exposes how absurd the laws at the time were."
Best Jewish Literature

With the Gestapo closing in, Angelo hides Eva within the walls of a convent, where Eva discovers she is just one of many Jews being sheltered by the Catholic Church. I marvel at her ability to weave together a story that grips hold of my heart and my imagination.” —Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author. A Panzer tank through your heart, leaving dirt and rubble through which poppies bloom.” —Suanne Laqueur, author of An Exaltation of Larks. Amy Harmon is a New York Times , Wall Street Journal , and USA Today bestselling author of ten novels, including the Whitney Award–winning The Law of Moses . Her historical novels, inspirational romances, and young adult books are now being published in twelve countries around the globe.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"But the mark of a great Amy Harmon book is her expertly crafted story that builds so very slowly - she builds you up and up and before you know it you’ve fallen for her characters and then it happens - the downfall that completely shatters you. The common theme within all of her books is that love and faith conquers all, and how hope and resilience can help you rise above even the most difficult of situations. I really hope that people give this book a chance. And strangely enough, I find myself convinced that God loves his children – all his children – that he loves me, and that he provides moments of light and transcendence amid the constant trial.”. “Many will seek to tell me what God’s will is. He is quiet, and my anguish is so intense, so incredibly loud, that right now I can only do my will and hope that somehow, it aligns with his.”. "Our immortality comes through our children and their children."
"Amy Harmon brings together the best and the worst of humanity on these pages, paving this journey with violence and bravery, horror and love. It's a ruthless barrage of emotions, this story, a relentless war between life and death, between good and evil, illustrated exquisitely by an author whose writing prowess knows no bounds. I've read many books of the true accounts of holocaust survivors, seen the movies and documentaries, taken classes concentrating on this area of study. To feel as though you know their strength, to get to know their life up until the moment it is stolen away, to know their helplessness in the face of something so unjust and so terrifying, it changes the way you look at the world, to see such atrocities through their eyes. This may be a fictionalized account inspired by true events, but you won't convince my heart Eva and Angelo aren't real. This story weaves it's way under your skin and into your soul so you feel every step of their journey, of their fight, of this miracle. Our world would be such a beautiful, peaceful, harmonious one if we sought to understand each other instead of judging each other for the ways we are different, for the God we pray to, for where each of our trees first took root. From Sand and Ash is a rich work of art, a stunning masterpiece that has moved me, altered me, captivated me. These characters, this fictionalized truth swathed in Harmon's unparalleled storytelling and her breathtaking writing style make for an epic story of bravery, love, resilience and loss that is both haunting and heartwarming all at once."
Best Asian American Literature

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY: NPR · San Francisco Chronicle · Entertainment Weekly · The Huffington Post · Buzzfeed · Amazon · Grantland · Booklist · St. Louis Post Dispatch · Shelf Awareness · Book Riot · School Library Journal · Bustle · Time Out New York · Mashable · Cleveland Plain Dealer “Lydia is dead. What follows is a novel that explores alienation, achievement, race, gender, family, and identity--as the police must unravel what has happened to Lydia, the Lee family must uncover the sister and daughter that they hardly knew. There isn’t a false note in this book, and my only concern in describing my profound admiration for Everything I Never Told You is that it might raise unachievable expectations in the reader. *Starred Review* A teenage girl goes missing and is later found to have drowned in a nearby lake, and suddenly a once tight-knit family unravels in unexpected ways.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"On its surface, the story is a mystery: What led to the death of Lydia Lee, a sixteen-year-old honor student with (supposedly) everything to live for? The author delves into the lives of each family member: James, the father, who never felt really at home in any situation; Marilyn, the mother, whose dreams were shelved by the demands of marriage, family, and the times; Nathan, the older brother, whose brilliance is overlooked; Lydia, the golden child burdened with all the frustrated aspirations of her parents; and Hannah, the overlooked afterthought of a child, a silent but keen observer of everyone in her family. In addition, issues of race in America and women's roles are explored through the parents, James and Marilyn, who came of age in the 60s and early 70s at the height of the sexual and civil rights revolutions. Both psychologically astute and poetic, it draws the reader into the story and evokes sympathy and awe. I also loved the way the author treated memory, that old deceiver, who smoothes out that which we cannot bear to recall."
"It is so exquisite, so marvelously perfect, so regally quiet and elegant that surely, it must come from the hands of a old soul author. The story begins with the death of Lydia, daughter of Marilyn and James, which is told in the first sentence and slowly revealed through the book. Nathan, oldest son on his way to Harvard, Lydia, the middle sister and favorite one, and Hannah, truly growing up invisible. Her prose is lyrical and light, allowing you to float in the scenes, often between characters, as if you are a literary ghost spying on these people. By the time you read the final page, you realize Ng has managed to create such a reality, and that when it ends, there is a sense of loss."
"Her family is the only Asian town in their midwest community; her mother has put her own lapsed dreams onto Lydia; and her father has done the same - hoping Lydia will be popular. We see the dynamics between the mother and father, the three siblings, and the neighbor, Jack. It's fun reading two novels from the same author back-to-back - even though I read them in reverse order of their publication."
Best Native American Literature

The thirteenth novel in Craig Johnson's beloved New York Times bestselling Longmire series, the basis for the hit Netflix series Longmire Sheriff Walt Longmire is enjoying a celebratory beer after a weapons certification at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy when a younger sheriff confronts him with a photograph of twenty-five armed men standing in front of a Challenger steam locomotive. Praise for Craig Johnson: "It's the scenery—and the big guy standing in front of the scenery—that keeps us coming back to Craig Johnson's lean and leathery mysteries." "A Walt Longmire novel is like going on a ride-along with an old friend, watching him ferret out the bad guys with wit and humanity (and more than a few bullets), while we swap stories and catch up on old times...it's An Obvious Fact—it's good to have Walt back on the scene." More Praise for Craig Johnson and the Walt Longmire Mystery Series: Craig Johnson is the New York Times bestselling author of the Longmire mysteries, the basis for the hit Netflix original series Longmire .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The first story, let’s call this one A, takes place in the early 1970s when Marine Walt Longmire comes home from Vietnam to Wyoming’s Absaroka County and takes a job as undersheriff to Lucian Connolly Walt is on a train full of sheriffs from other Wyoming counties, heading from one end of the state to the other and then back again. We meet all kinds of interesting characters, one being Sheriff Marv Leeland, another Marine, who lost part of his right arm in WWII on Peliliu. The main part of this story involves the potential parole of a criminal who Walt arrested long ago and was responsible for a number of murders."
"Also, sometimes seems that since the TV series started, the book plots have taken on a pace much different than the earlier books."
"All the parts are here for a great Longmire mystery—the familiar cast of characters, the western locale, even intrigue on a train, with a thematic nod to Agatha Christie’s "Murder on the Orient Express.""
"The story unfolds over two different time periods (1972 and "modern day") and that limits much of the Walt/Vic/Henry banter I've grown attached to in the series."
"I love the Longmire series....Johnson tried a different format this writing and it took a while into the story for me to get used to the jumps. back and forth in time."
"I hate it when authors or TV shows engage in this tawdry practice to get you to follow along at your expense instead of giving you a satisfying stand alone product. Sometimes writers just lose the spark of what made their series a hit and just start pumping out sub standard work to keep the bucks rolling in. The great ones, Michael Connelly, John Sandford, Robert Crais, just manage to keep them coming with no lapse in quality, nurturing the spark."
Best Hispanic American Literature

But Oscar may never get what he wants. Amazon Best of the Month, September 2007 : It's been 11 years since Junot Díaz's critically acclaimed story collection, Drown , landed on bookshelves and from page one of his debut novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao , any worries of a sophomore jinx disappear. He captures not only the fat, virginal, impractical Oscar, but he also gives a sexy vigor to Yunior, who serves as narrator and Oscar's polar opposite. Davis also gives voice to Oscar's mother, Beli, whose fukú curse infects the entire family, except for Oscar's sister, Lola, performed in a flat voice by Snell, whose performance overlooks Lola's energy and resolve.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A terrific story which sucks the reader in and holds on to you until the final page."
"Interesting."
"Love love love this book and Junot Diaz."
"Díaz uses tone and point-of-view brilliantly as he weaves together languages, cultures, and characters."
"The main character, Oscar, was easy to sympathize with and I fell in love with his passion immediately. As a somewhat closet nerd myself, I saw myself at his age falling in love with all the classic sci-fi, the first time I discovered Roleplaying games, spending hours lost in your imagination."
"This book is excellent, there is so many layers to it."
"I was really excited to read a book about modern day people with similar interests to me - science fiction, superheroes, fantasy."
"Really acquired an appreciation for life of Dominicans and their culture, mentality, and temperament."