"[Of Lodz and Love] . . . continues the story of Yacov and Binele as they depart from the shtetl and enter the disturbingly 'modem 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."—Kirkus Reviews
"Bociany and its sequel, Of Lodz and Love, follow the fortunes of dreamer Yacov, son of a scribe, and rebellious Binele, daughter of a widower, who grew up next door to each other in smalltown Bociany and later make their separate ways to Lodz. In cogent and evocative prose, translated from the Yiddish by the author, Rosenfarb describes the religious and political stew that was prewar Poland."—Publishers Weekly
Description
In Of Lodz and Love, Chava Rosenfarb revisits her themes of the the shtetl and pre-Holocaust Poland, of economic and political oppression, and of the upheavals that would herald a new Jewish national and political awakening. The story takes Yacov, son of Hindele, and Binele, the daughter of the chalk vendor Yossele Abedale, to the industrial town of Lodz during the first years of Poland’s independence, both before and after the country entered the war with the Bolsheviks.
The would-be young lovers evolve separately against the backdrop of the city’s own struggle for economic survival. In sometimes tragic turns, they make their way in the strange urban culture, rapidly acquiring the skills to
survive. Translated from the original Yiddish, this book serves as prologue and as counterpoint to the urbanization of Jewish life in Poland. In its elegance and subtle wit, and overwhelming human dignity, it is not only the testimony of a vanished world, but a powerful love story.
About the Author
Chava Rosenfarb was born in Łódź, Poland. She was a survivor of the Łódź Ghetto as well as the Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. She was the recipient of numerous literary prizes. In 1979, she was awarded the Manger Prize—the highest award for Yiddish literature—for her trilogy Tree of Life (Der boim fun leib).
January 2000