"Gonshor’s debut novel is brilliantly told"
"From the opening page I was hooked"
"Gonshor doesn’t disappoint; it’s dramatic to the last page."
- Bibliophile Bookstore
"A captivating modern take on Jewish cultural touchstones and heritage."

The Book of Izzy

“In his inventive debut, The Book of Izzy, Ben Gonshor draws on the richness of the Yiddish language to shed light on the world of Yiddish theater, and to enliven a generation of Jewish emigres who are being lost to history.”

Judy Batalion, New York Times bestselling author of The Light of Days

Izzy’s a writer at wit’s end in life, with love and on the verge of a complete breakdown with his career in wedding planning. Following an encounter with a mysterious bird seemingly visible only to him, he soon finds himself agreeing to take on the leading role in an amateur production of the greatest play in all of the Yiddish theatre: The Dybbuk, a gothic tale of destiny, possession and the triumph of love over all.

But when the play’s director dies suddenly and the theatre is threatened with immediate closure, Izzy is thrust into a much greater role, one he’ll soon learn he was predestined to play. In the process, he embarks on a fanciful, romantic voyage that will not only force him to come to terms with his Jewish identity, but to also confront the mysterious bird that holds the key to preserving the past and ensuring the survival of his heritage. 

“Ben Gonshor’s The Book of Izzy places Jewish cultural touchstones, key to earlier times, in an edgy contemporary frame.”

Norman Ravvin’s recent publications are Who Gets In: An Immigration Story and the novel The Girl Who Stole Everything

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