An Hour In Paradise
Winship PEN New England Book Award
Edward Lewis Wallant Award National Jewish Book Award Finalist Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection "Reading AN HOUR IN PARADISE is like watching a procession of modern-day Jewish pilgrims in a medieval tapestry: seekers captured in the act of seeking." New York Times Book Review "Leegant reveals herself to be an empathic, gifted creator of people and worlds. Thought-provoking and funny, touching and disturbing, this is an auspicious debut." Publishers Weekly “Dazzles with humanity and other-worldliness.” Jerusalem Report “Ten fresh, compassionate and lucid stories. Fans of Allegra Goodman, Nathan Englander, even the magical exuberance of Jonathan Safran Foer will greet this collection warmly.” Miami Herald “Leegant is as skilled at conveying a virgin’s tingling sexual curiosity as she is at portraying an old man’s grappling with the mystery of miracles.” Booklist "One wants to shout out the word that a new, very talented writer has arrived." New Jersey Jewish News "Leegant's deep empathy, fascinating characterizations, and geographic range all combine to provide an unusual look at how men and women face life's predicaments in ways that will help them seek -- perhaps even grasp -- the divine." Barnes & Noble’s Discover Great New Writers Review "A splendid collection." Calgary Herald "Leegant's characters throb with life and humanity." Hadassah |
Wherever You Go
"A timely and brave novel [that] plunges its cast of vivid characters into the violent world of Israel's extreme right-wing fringe with rare insight and mesmerizing detail." Miami Herald
“A gripping story about the interplay between politics and religion.” Reform Judaism “Alternatingly heartwarming and heartbreaking. An achingly beautiful book.” The Reporter “Confident and well-observed. A cautionary tale about the danger of a narrow ideology.” Times Literary Supplement “A small masterpiece.” Association of Jewish Libraries "Those who seek politically charged stories brought to a human level, such as the work of Barbara Kingsolver, will not be disappointed." Library Journal "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 "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 “WHEREVER YOU GO is Joan Leegant’s second book and first novel, and it is bloody brilliant." For Books’ Sake "Leegant is to be applauded for showing us Israeli society…With [her] as our newscaster, we would all do well to tune in." Lilith “Joan Leegant’s prose is exquisite.” Nomadreader “There have been many important novels in English about Israel; Leegant's is certainly among them.” The Forward |
