Of Lodz and Love

”[Of Lodz and Love] … continues the story of Yacov and Binele as they depart from the shtetl and enter the disturbingly ‘modem city’ of Lodz—as old ways of life are being challenged by various secular imperatives, war draws nearer, and Jewry itself comes under frightening duress. Of Lodz and Love is, technically, a freestanding novel, but offers an infinitely more rewarding experience if read in sequence, following the superb Bociany. Oprah’s Book Club should check out these richly detailed, cumulatively very moving paired novels. They’re wonderful.” - Kirkus Reviews“Bociany and its sequel, Of Lodz and Love, follow the fortunes of dreamer Yacov, son of a scribe, and rebellious Binele, daughter of a widower, who grew up next door to each other in smalltown Bociany and later make their separate ways to Lodz. In cogent and evocative prose, translated from the Yiddish by the author, Rosenfarb describes the religious and political stew that was prewar Poland.” - Publishers Weekly

Chava Rosenfarb was born in Lódz, Poland. She was a survivor of the Lódz Ghetto as well as the Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. She was the recipient of numerous literary prizes. In 1979, she was awarded the Manger Prize—the highest award for Yiddish literature—for her trilogy Tree of Life (Der boim fun leib).