Contemporary Jewish fiction
With Cynthia Good
Thursdays, October 1, 8, 15, 22, 10:30 am (in-person & online)
$30 for members; $45 for non-members
We look forward to in-person (and online) learning and the opportunity for in-depth study. Join us this fall for our usual lively discussion of two novels, one about a young girl, the other about an elderly woman and both with interesting narrative techniques.
Vera or Faith by Gary Shteyngart
Shteyngart’s sixth novel is a lively unusual Bildungsroman, tracking the journey – literal, educational, emotional – of 10-year-old Vera Bradford-Shmulkin, an overanxious, over-watchful academic high achiever whose run of straight As has just been blighted by a B. A very modern blend of Russian, Jewish, Korean, and New England WASP, Vera’s family love one another deeply but the pressures of life in an unstable America are fraying their bonds.
Vera wants only three things in life: to make a friend at school; Daddy and Anne Mom to stay together; and to meet her birth mother, Mom Mom, who will at last tell Vera the secret of who she really is and how to ensure love’s survival in this great, mad, imploding world. Even if you have not been a Shteyngart fan in the past, this is an accomplished novel paying homage to Henry James. Vera, or Faith demonstrates why Shteyngart is, in the words of The New York Times, “one of his generation’s most exhilarating writers.”
LONGLISTED FOR THE JOYCE CAROL OATES PRIZE • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Time, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Vox, Denver Public Library, Seattle Times, The Cap Times, Kirkus Reviews
Wreck by Catherine Newman
Newman’s previous book, Sandwich, introduced us to Rachel, known as Rocky and her family, as she navigates midlife while on vacation with her family on Cape Cod. In Wreck, Rocky is a few years older and plagued by new worries, including her own health, her recently widowed father, and the tragic death of a young man, all of which trigger a crisis of confidence in the future. As reviewers said of Sandwich, you will find yourself laughing out loud – until the tears start.
With her signature wit and wisdom, Catherine Newman explores the hidden rules of family, the heavy weight of uncertainty, and the complicated fact that people—no matter how much you love them—are not always exactly who you want them to be.
You don’t need to read Sandwich to enjoy and understand this novel, but you will love that book too.
“Newman excels at showing how sorrow and joy coexist in everyday life. She masterfully balances a modern exploration of grief with truly laugh-out-loud lines. A heartbreaking, laugh-provoking, and absolutely Ephron-esque look at the beauty and fragility of everyday life.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An NPR BEST BOOK OF 2025
