City of Laughter

Funny, beautifully crafted, rich with insight and wildly gripping. The queer Jewish femme multi-generational family saga I didn’t know I needed! – Andrea Lawlor, author of PAUL TAKES THE FORM OF A MORTAL GIRL[A] brainy and richly textured debut … In this book, a new generation accepts the complicated lacunae of history; what they can’t abide is silence and obstruction. * New York Times *Wonderful. – Sara Lawrence * Daily Mail *A wondrous intergenerational story of queerness and Jewish folklore … Fruchter draws on folk tales both real and imagined to create a tender and unforgettable portrait of Jewish culture, faith, and community. This dazzling and hopeful novel is not to be missed. * Publishers Weekly *With prose that is erudite and alive, this fantastic debut novel explores queer love, first heartbreak, the loss of parents and the deeply human desire for ancestral connection. * Booklist *A gorgeous and full-hearted exploration of inheritance, grief, desire, and connection … A sharply observed, tenderly complex and wildly delightful debut by an original and impressive new voice. – Danielle Evans, author of THE OFFICE OF HISTORICAL CORRECTIONSCity of Laughter has the sparkle and fire of something truly rare … chock full of wit and tenderness and an incredible amount of heart. One of the most thoughtful and thought-provoking books I’ve ever read. – Kristen Arnett, author of WITH TEETHDeeply ambitious, deeply fun, queer mythological storytelling at its finest. A powerful, profound, beautifully told and thought-provoking debut. – Jordy Rosenberg, author of CONFESSIONS OF THE FOXA rich, lyrical portrait of four generations of unruly longings, a multigenerational tale of seeking, of laughter, of the sacred hiding in plain sight. Every line is haunted by loving ghosts. – Zeyn Joukhadar, author of THE THIRTY NAMES OF NIGHTRichly imagined, painstakingly crafted, full of delights … Pays homage to a glorious folkloric tradition. – Sarah Thankam Mathews, author of ALL THIS COULD BE DIFFERENTA bountiful, curious, huge-hearted celebration of desire and memory, illuminating the eternal, indestructible nature of queer inheritance and reminding us yet again that history is folklore and folklore is history. – Elisa Albert, author of HUMAN BLUESAn absolute pleasure, a thrilling journey that endlessly finds new ways to surprise and delight, challenge, and enthral. Very few debut novels are as ambitious as this; even fewer deliver on even their biggest promises so assuredly. – Matt Bell, author of APPLESEEDA striking portrait of the power of queer imagination … both wondrous and circadian … Fruchter has crafted an intellectual but still deeply emotional narrative, one that pauses to contemplate but never feels lost in its musings and meanderings … a genuinely immersive read. – Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya * Autostraddle *A gorgeous exploration of ancestry and queer Jewish life … Stunning. * Shondaland *[A] deliciously spellbinding debut by [a] literary star-on-the-rise. – Greg Mania * Stylecaster *[Fruchter] is uber-talented, and she proves it in her debut novel, City of Laughter, an amalgam of sapphic love, family secrets, and Jewish folklore … Fruchter’s ingenuity is on full display … [She] manages to captivate us on every page. – Wayne Catan * Washington City Paper *One of the most ambitious and thought-provoking books I’ve ever read. – Cathy Alter * Washington Independent Review of Books *Exquisite prose … This stunning debut heralds an author to watch. * Shelf Awareness *A detailed and moving portrait of women trying to find themselves. – Sam Franzini * Our Culture *

Temim Fruchter is a queer nonbinary writer who was raised in a Modern Orthodox Jewish household. She holds an MFA in fiction from the University of Maryland, and has received first prize in short fiction from both American Literary Review and New South.