Joan Leegant
“Who says the novel has lost its relevance? This one should be required reading.”
Jonathan Wilson, author of A Palestine Affair
In a sweeping, beautifully written story, Joan Leegant weaves together three lives caught in the grip of a volatile and uncompromising faith. Yona Stern has traveled to Jerusalem from New York to make amends with her sister, a stoic mother of five dedicated to the hard-line West Bank settlement cause. Mark Greenglass, a gifted Talmud teacher and a former drug dealer saved by religion, has lost his passion and wonders if he’s done with God. Enter Aaron Blinder, an unstable college dropout with a history of failure who finds a home on the radical fringe of Israeli society. Emotionally gripping, timely and prophetic, WHEREVER YOU GO tells the story of three Americans in Israel and the attractions -- and dangers -- of Jewish extremism and its threat to the modern, democratic state.
WHEREVER YOU GO
A Novel
“There have been many important novels in English about Israel; Leegant’s is certainly among them." The Forward
“Timely and brave..deft storytelling.” Miami Herald
From the winner of the PEN/New England Book Award, the Wallant Award, and Finalist for the National Jewish Book Award, a gripping novel of contemporary Israel.
“A finely wrought story that raises issues while it keeps a reader turning the pages.” Chicago Jewish Star
“An important addition to the canon of fiction about the interaction of American Jews with Israel.” Moment
“Those who seek politically charged stories brought to a human level, such as the work of Barbara Kingsolver, will not be disappointed.” Library Journal
“Brilliant. Each sentence is beautiful.”
Aryeh Lev Stollman, author of The Illuminated Soul
“The reader can’t wait to turn the next page. This is a novel that will make you both think and feel.” Cleveland Jewish News
“Captivating. Leegant subtly demonstrates the destructive nature of religious extremism.” JT News, The Voice of Jewish Washington
“A cautionary tale about the danger of a narrow ideology.” Times Literary Supplement
“It is sometimes hard to believe Leegant is not an Israeli native; the scenes she describes are realistically and intimately Israeli.” Jerusalem Report
“Alternatingly heartwarming and heartbreaking. An achingly beautiful book.” The Reporter
“A page-turner.” Intermountain Jewish News
“Leegant is to be applauded for showing us Israeli society as seen from the outside, a perspective she knows all too well.” Lilith
“A wonderful narrative...Leegant is a gifted writer.” Jewish Literary Review
“A gripping story about the interplay between politics and religion” Reform Judaism
“Intricately plotted pages, a fully engrossing thriller.” Bostonia Magazine
“A small masterpiece, small only in that Leegant needs few pages to say a lot. Her book is eloquent, timely, and thought provoking.” Association of Jewish Libraries
Wherever You Go named by the Union for Reform Judaism one of its “Significant Jewish Books.”
“A fast-paced narrative.” NY Jewish Week
“Spare, unsentimental, and spot on.” ESRA Magazine
“As timely as tomorrow’s inevitable news.” Ha’aretz
“This is one of those novels readers won’t stop thinking about after it’s finished, which is the measure of a great book.” San Francisco Book Review
Now out in paperback from W.W. Norton
“A provocative novel that will leave readers wondering where we are going when it comes to faith and religion.” Caribousmom
News!
WHEREVER YOU GO hits the blogosphere! Click here to read what book blogs are saying.
A new interview with Joan on Fiction Writer’s Review. Read it online here.
Joan’s story “Beautiful Souls” wins the Nelligan Prize for fiction. Read it online here.
The UK edition of WHEREVER YOU GO is out! One UK reviewer calls it “bloody brilliant.”
Click here for more videos
Click here to read an excerpt.
“Joan Leegant’s prose is exquisite.” nomadreader
“A fantastic novel for a book group. Lovely, moving, beautiful.” Unabridged Chick
“Leegant’s writing is simply stunning.” Among Stories
“A beautifully uplifting debut novel.” Rundpinne
“Clever, sharp, well-written. Cries out for film treatment. Buy those options now.” Jewish Chronicle
“Bloody brilliant. If I could stop the review right there, I would, because I fear nothing could do this novel justice.” For Books’s Sake
“Equal parts character and plot, it would make a great book club selection.” Boston Bibliophile.
“Two weeks after finishing it, I’m still unable to get it out of my mind.” In The Next Room
“Recommend? Yes, without hesitation.” In The Thumb
“A truly wonderful novel.” Books, Personally
“Israel comes alive in Leegant’s hands.”
The House of the Seven Tails
“Beautifully complex, a great pick for a book group.” Tiny Library
“I didn’t want to put it down.” Books like Breathing
“Leegant’s characters may be Jewish but her themes are universal. Highly recommended. Devourer of Books
“Leegant captures the nuances in beautiful prose.” Wilson Knut’s Witticisms
“I expected judgment and religious discourse. Instead, I found a very thoughtful novel.” Picky Girl
“Definitely put this one on your reading list.” As I Turn the Pages
“Not since Philip Roth’s The Counterlife has Jewish extremism been given such infectious--and disturbing--voices.” Hadassah
“A beautifully realized story of love, art and faith. Highly recommended.” Bibliophiliac