Stollman's second novel, after his lauded debut, The Far Euphrates, is another thoughtful, resonant examination of Jewish life in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Now a famous neuroanatomist, Dr. Joseph Ivri reflects on his life and career. Raised in a devout Jewish household in placid, post-WWII Ontario, Joseph is obsessively studious, somber and a bit of a religious prodigy. Several painful events have contributed to his serious view of the world: his father's illness and death, the institutionalization of his best friend and the diminishing eyesight of his younger brother, Asa. A welcome addition to the household when Joseph is 14 is boarder Eva Laquedem Higashi, a beautiful, sagelike refugee from Prague via Shanghai, who is the very embodiment of the dislocated life many European Jews faced even after the Allies' victory. Eva brings with her a most precious possession: a rare 15th-century Hebrew manuscript, the Augsburg Miscellany, smuggled out of Europe at great risk—and at tragic cost. The manuscript's implications prove a suspenseful factor, as its history is gradually revealed. While the book's leisurely pace and religious allusions may limit its audience, discerning readers will be intrigued by its quiet mysticism. Stollman's measured prose harbors its share of idiosyncratic nuggets, including liberal doses of Japanese folklore and an appearance by Hannah Arendt. Yet the narrative gains cohesion from Joseph's encompassing intelligence, and his world—both provincial and worldly—is evoked with delicate accuracy. A practicing neuroradiologist, Stollman illuminates the mysteries of life with the clear eye of a scientist and the faith of a believer. Rights sold in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. (Feb. 18)
