Book cover of Gentlemen of the Road

Book description

A spellbinding yarn set a thousand years ago along the ancient Silk Road, by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

'It's been a while since I had such fun reading a book' Daily Telegraph

'Readers might feel they have reached the book equivalent of…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Gentlemen of the Road as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Gentlemen of the Road features two Jewish traders in the 10th century CE, in and around Khazaria (roughly the area around the Caspian and Black seas).

This one is told by an omniscient narrator who glories in long sentences full of the sights, sounds, and smells around the fire. The first book I read by Chabon was the masterful The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, and I read this one soon after.

If you love Gentlemen of the Road...

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Want books like Gentlemen of the Road?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Gentlemen of the Road.

Browse books like Gentlemen of the Road

Book cover of Grendel
Book cover of The Buried Giant
Book cover of Hild

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,341

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like Gentlemen of the Road, you might also like...

Book cover of A Ritchie Boy

A Ritchie Boy by Linda Kass,

A poignant narrative about one young immigrant’s triumph in America, inspired by true events.

1938. Eli Stoff and his parents, Austrian Jews, escape to America just after the Nazis take over their homeland. Within five years, Eli joins the US Army and, thanks to his understanding of the German language…

Book cover of Performance Anxiety

Performance Anxiety by Jonathan Lerner,

Lerner's memoir of approaching adulthood in the mid-sixties is deliciously readable, but deceptively breezy. His family is affluent, his school engaging, his friends smart and fun. He has his first car, and drives with abandon. The American moment promises unlimited possibility. But political and cultural upheavals are emerging, and irresistible.…

5 book lists we think you will like!