The Chosen

About this book

Few stories offer more warmth, wisdom or generosity than this tale of two boys, their fathers, their friendship & the chaotic times in which they live. Tho on the surface it explores religious faith--the intellectually committed as well as the passionately observant--the struggles addressed in The Chosenare familiar to families of all faiths in all nations. In 1940s Brooklyn, an accident throws Reuven Malther & Danny Saunders together. Despite their differences (Reuven is a modern Orthodox Jew with an intellectual, Zionist father; Danny is the brilliant son & rightful heir to a Hasidic rebbe), the young men form a deep, if unlikely, friendship. Together they negotiate adolescence, family conflicts, the crisis of faith engendered when Holocaust stories begin to emerge, loss, love & the journey to adulthood. The intellectual & spiritual clashes between fathers, between each son & his own father, & between the two young men, provide a unique backdrop for this exploration of fathers, sons, faith, loyalty &, ultimately, the power of love. (This isn't a conventional children's book, altho it will move any wise child age 12 or older, & often appears on summer reading lists for high school students.)