Religious 15 Seder Steps, The

Where The Jackals Howl

Read by Anthony Tibber (1 Cd)

This is a series of short stories which reflect Oz's great love for Israel. They are poetic, moving and dramatic. The last one tells the story of Jephthe's daughter in very dramatic terms. Some of the language is difficult, but at the end it grips the reader with its evocative account of the land of Israel.

No. 1418

Who's Sorry Now?

Read by Cynthia Bernstein (1 Cd)

Marvin Kreitman the luggage baron of South London lives for women, apart from his mother, wife Hazel and his two daughters he is in love with five more. Charlie, on the other hand just loves one woman, his wife. The two friends meet for lunch once a week and eventually talk about fidelity and womanising. Charlie decides he wants a taste of Marvin's life and what follows disrupts lives and no one will ever be the same again. Howard Jacobson is in majestic form in this novel which is unnervingly truthful, poignant and very funny. THIS BOOK CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEXUAL LANGUAGE. No. 1380

Wine Of Solitude, The

Read by Diana Toeman (1 Cd)

|Introspective, intense and poignant, this book is the most autobiographical of all Irene Nemirovsky's novels. Imbued with melancholy and regret, it explores the troubled relationship between a young girl, her distant self-absorbed mother and her mother's lover, Max. We follow the family through the Great War and the Russian Revolution, as the young Helene grows from a dreamy, unhappy child into an angry young woman.

No. 1665

Woman In Jerusalem, A

Read by Ita Rubin (1 Cd)

A Suicide bomb explodes in a Jerusalem market. One of the victims is a migrant worker without any papers, only a salary slip from the bakery where she worked as a night cleaner. As her body lies unclaimed in the morgue, her employers are labelled unfeeling and inhuman by a local journalist. The manager of human resources is given the job of discovering who she was and why she had come to Jerusalem. As the image of this once beautiful dead woman begins to obsess him, the manager turns this duty into a personal mission- he is no longer just saving his company's reputation by trying to discover her identity and assure her of a dignified funeral. He is now restoring her, not only to her family and country but also to common humanity - whilst at the same time conquering the hardness of his own heart. This is a sad, warm and funny book about Israel and being Jewish.

No. 1667

World's Fair

Read by Frieda Bier (1 Cd)

This novel is based during the 1930s and reconstructs the life of Edgar Altschuler, a young boy growing up in New York. The storyline is narrated from two viewpoints, Edgar as an adult looking back on his childhood in pre Second World War New York, and also through his account as a child. The novel follows Edgar's story of his life from pre-school to the New York World Fair of 1939. E. L. Doctorow excellently guides the reader through the changes and upheavals that befall Edgar, his mother Rose, father Dave and brother Donald. His descriptions of radio programmes, music, the cinema and events on the world stage will resound with anyone who grew up in that era, In addition, it will also provide an excellent historical overview for those who did not.

No. 1581

You Are, Aren't You?

Read by Hilary Michel (1 Cd)

Interesting stories written in verse, some from his book for children. Angry, hilarious and memorable he explores his strongly Jewish and socialist background which is present in his first collection for an adult readership.

No. 1449

Young Turk

Read by Anthony Tibber (1 Cd)

This is a remarkable and unusual novel. It deals with the interwoven lives of young Turks in the years before, during and after the Second World War. It's set in Istanbul and reflects the city's culture with, Muslim, Christian, Jews and others. Beautifully plotted, the characters' lives intersect and fly off at tangents under the strains of their lives and the changing society that they live in. Warning: THIS BOOK HAS SOME VERY EXPLICIT SEXUAL REFERENCES.

No. 1465

Zipper And His Father

Read by Ella Marks (5 Cds)

This is set in Vienna initially, early in the 20th century tracing a father and son, old Zipper and Arnold through the First World War and into Berlin in the 1920s. The story is told through the eyes of Arnold's friend who remains a friend through childhood, the war years; and more poignantly the years after the war. It is these later years that show us Arnold's inability to find his place in society, his obsessive passion for his unloving wife, and the complex relationship with his father. We simultaneously follow old Zipper and his social pretensions and complex relationship with his wife, Arnold's mother.

No. 1692

NON FICTION

60 Days For 60 Years

Read by Gloria Morgan (1 Cd)

Sixty Days For Sixty Years - Remember The Past To Build The Future, is part of a learning programme containing sixty essays in memory of victims of the Holocaust and gives hope for the future of the Jewish people. Each book names a person lost and asks us to remember them.

No. 1504

101 Things

Read by Dina Stavrinides (1 Cd)

This book is well worth reading if you're thinking of buying or selling a property. David Pollock has included useful, practical advice essential for any prospective vendor or purchaser.

No. 1607
A Sense of Belonging

By Howard Cooper & Paul Morrison

Read by Anthony Tibber
This book deals with "the dilemma of Jewish identity in Britain today" Well constructed, it argues its case well, though not an "easy read", it is worth an effort.

No. 1749