As a high school student, my life is a juggling act. Between brief conversations with my parents, wolfing down meals before dashing off to activities, and completing the lovely piles of homework that have been jammed into my 100-pound backpack, I seldom have time to read for pleasure.
Much to my chagrin, most high school teachers, unintentionally I am sure, prevent the average high school student from lounging around on a chaise and diving into a great book.
Somehow, by the work of some miracle, no doubt, this year I found the time to read Dara Horn’s, “The World to Come,” a book that has been first on my list for quite some time. I do not regret for one moment the late nights that I spent devouring the book instead of diligently working on my ACT prep.
“The World to Come” is a truly inspirational piece of literature ingeniously crafted by Horn, who received a doctorate in comparative literature from Harvard University, studying both Hebrew and Yiddish.
Also the author of “In the Image,” Horn successfully weaves together the past, present, and fascinating tints of Jewish theology into a book that you will not be able to put down.
The fascinating novel begins as protagonist Benjamin Ziskind arrives at a singles cocktail hour at a museum, which he was coaxed into attending by his sister, Sara. After a few awkward conversations and some milling about, Benjamin decides to escape from the uncomfortable social situation.
On his way out, he eyes a small Marc Chagall painting. Suddenly, he realizes that the painting he is staring at is the same one that used to hang in the living room of his childhood home.
So, after a few seconds of thinking logically and calmly, Benjamin gently lifts the $1 million original Chagall off the wall and takes it home.
‘Deeply Jewish’ family
As revealed in the story, the Ziskinds are a deeply Jewish family whose roots extend back to 1920s Soviet Russia. Readers are taken through the family’s various life cycle experiences — bar/bat mitzvah, marriage, death and afterlife.
The Ziskind family’s Jewish way of life is described in rich detail throughout the novel, changing while the family moves through place and time to the present day. This adds to the level of depth and intricacy of the novel.
Part of the novel’s brilliance is how Horn intertwines past, present, and future into one incredible tapestry. Readers travel from the Vietnam War to Soviet Russia to “the world to come,” and into a love story on a winding and mesmerizing path.
Filled with an underlying sense of mystery, intrigue and profound meaning, this novel is one you should not miss. I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of “The World to Come.” You won’t be able to put it down.
Abigail A. Backer will be a senior at Whitefish Bay High School this fall. She is the programming vice president for North American Federation of Temple Youth’s (NFTY) Northern Region and is interning this summer at Jewish Museum Milwaukee.
Would you like to share a great Jewish book with the community? If so, contact Austin Greenberg.
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