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Greenberg Families Library — New Titles

March 2024

LOCAL AUTHORS

The Great Goldbergs by Daniel Goodwin

When Sean McFall encounters golden-haired David Goldberg and his larger-than-life father, Saul, he is dazzled by the family’s riches, power, and ease in social situations. The bright lives of the Goldbergs are profoundly different from those of Sean’s working-class parents. But as Sean grows up and is pulled closer to the centre of the Goldberg family by the gravitational force of their wealth and position, he discovers a tyrannical and abusive patriarch, an estranged relative bent on revenge, and dark family secrets. As he struggles to reconcile his first impressions with the realities he later confronts, Sean must determine who he is, what he will stand for, and whether he can resist the attraction that has dominated his life. Rich in understanding of the relationships between parents and children, the loyalty we show our friends, and how a family’s past haunts its present, The Great Goldbergs is about the compromises we make in pursuit of wealth and acceptance, and for love.


FICTION

The Girls of Jerusalem and Other Stories by Marsha Lee Berkman

From the opening vignette in which a photograph is a silent witness to history to the powerful coda “Miracles,” a novella set against the vibrant panorama of the Yiddish theater in America, the fifteen memorable narratives in The Girls of Jerusalem and Other Stories reinterpret ancient tropes to reveal new understanding of the singular endurance of Jewish memory. “Ghosts,” one of the many stories about strong women, explores the friendship between two women who move beyond their separate destinies, shaped by the pain of the Shoah for both victims and successive generations. Two stories, “Grisha,” and “Why Are You Afraid?” center on contemporary Israel, while the difficulty of creating a Jewish life in America informs “My Grandmother’s Eyes” and “How I Found My Life.” In the title story, a young woman struggles to regain her sexual and emotional freedom, assuming the identity of her biblical counterpart in the Song of Songs. Written by a storyteller who brings poetic mastery and pervasive knowledge to her subject, The Girls of Jerusalem and Other Stories links centuries and continents through Jewish history, spanning many voices, places, and eras, from the period of the Enlightenment to the twenty-first century, encompassing compelling chronicles of love and loss, piety and heresy, mysticism and rationality, and stirring stories of exile, dislocation, and profound change.

 

Other new titles:

  • The Scrolls Of Deborah by Esther Goldenberg
  • South of Saphead: The 1492 Jewish Expulsion from Spain by Eric Weintraub
  • Sarra Copia: A Locked-In Life By Nancy Ludmerer
  • The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz
  • Gallery of Disappeared Men by Jonathan Papernick
  • A Plague on Both Your Houses by Robert Littell
  • The Hebrew Teacher by Maya Arad
  • In the Shadow of the Greenbrier by Emily Matchar
  • Blank by Zibbu Owens
  • It Could Be Worse by Dara Levan

NON-FICTION

Abraham: Trials of Family and Faith by Terence E. Fretheim

From God’s surprising call to Abraham to leave home and family to God’s enigmatic commands that he evict one son and sacrifice another, Genesis 12-25 is one of the most dramatic stories of the Old Testament. In an inviting style that showcases his literary discernment, theological sophistication, and passion for the biblical text, Terence E. Fretheim guides readers through the intricacies of the plot. Abraham, called “the father of a multitude” (Gen 17:5), lives up to his name as the patriarch of three major religious traditions. Fretheim examines Abraham’s family and assesses the significant roles it plays across Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In addition, Fretheim contributes to the increasingly important inter-religious dialogue surrounding Abraham by examining the continuing conversation among Muslims, Christians, and Jews about the place of Hagar and Ishmael in Abraham’s family. Relating biblical narrative to theological concerns, Fretheim wrestles with such controversial concepts as God’s selection of an elect people, the gift of land and other promises, the role of women and outsiders, the character of God, and the suffering of innocents. Throughout the text, Fretheim frames the narrative as rooted in the trials of family and faith that define Abraham as the father of three religions.

Other new titles:

  • Lovers in Auschwitz by Karen Blankfeld
  • To Be a Jew Today: A New Guide to God, Israel, and the Jewish People by Noah Feldman
  • Mistress of Life and Death: The Dark Journey of Maria Mandl, Head Overseer of the Women’s Camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau by Susan J. Eischeid
  • Rules to Live By: Maimonides’ Guide to a Wonderful Life by Jeffrey Katz
  • God-Talk: The Heart of Judaism by David Novak
  • Escapees: The History of Jews Who Fled Nazi Deportation Trains in France, Belgium and The Netherlands by Tanja Von Fransecky
  • Man Ray: The Artist and His Shadows by Arthur Lubow
  • My Brother’s Keeper: Netanyahu, Obama, & the Year of Terror & Conflict That Changed the Middle East Forever by Ian Harrow
  • Perverse Memory and The Holocaust: A Psychoanalytic Understanding of Polish Bystanders by Jan Borowicz

JUVENILE

A Dragon with ADHD: Help Kids Get Organized, Focus, and Succeed by Steve Herman

A Story About Emotions and Feelings. Having a pet dragon is very fun! He can sit, roll over, and play. He can candle a birthday cake, lit a campfire, or so many other cool things. But what if he doesn’t understand his feelings? What if he doesn’t know what to do when he’s angry, upset, and frustrated? What if he is sad because he cannot make himself happy all the time? What if he’s scared because his feelings keep changing during the day? What if he doesn’t know how to deal with the constant flow of feelings and emotions? What should you do?You teach him about emotions and feelings! You help him understand that his different feelings are normal and are essential parts of dragon beings (and human beings!). You show him how to recognize all of his feelings – anger, happiness, calm, joy, sadness, surprise, disappointment, scare, anxiety, excitement, and more! You teach him the proper ways to regulate and handle his emotions and feelings. You walk him through many emotions and feelings and show him what it feels like to feel each of them, why they’re essential, and what to do with them.

 

Other new titles:

  • The Peacock by Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod
  • Where is Poppy? by Caroline Kushin Pritchard
  • P is for Pastrami: The ABCs of Jewish Food by Alan Silberberg
  • Space Torah: Astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman’s Cosmic Mitzvah by Rochelle Burk
  • Afikoman, Where’d You Go? A Passover Hide and Seek Adventure by Rebecca Gardyman
  • Masterpiece by Alexandra Hoffman
  • Sophie’s Monster Goes to Shul by Sandy Asher
  • Dragon and the Bully: Teach Your Dragon How to Deal with a Bully by Steve Herman
  • Teach Your Dragon About Feelings: A Story About Emotions and Feelings by Steve Herman
  • Celebrate Our Differences: A Dragon’s Story About Different Abilities, Special Needs, and Inclusion by Steve Herman
  • The Blue Butterfly of Cochin by Ariana Mizrahi
  • A Beautiful World by Yael Gover