Book cover of The Shawl

Book description

A devastating vision of the Holocaust and the unfillable emptiness it left in the lives of those who passed through it.

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Shawl as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

As one of the most distinguished writers of Jewish fiction, Cynthia Ozick is known for her work that is both linguistically spellbinding and profoundly thought-provoking.

After reading her two-part novella, The Shawl and Rosa, I believe that it stands out as one of her finest. It tells the story of two women whose survival during World War Two is painfully intertwined, to the point that they cannot separate their horrific experiences from the way they view each other. This penetrating psychological portrait of the devastating effects of victimhood is unparalleled in Jewish literature.  

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