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Praise for An Hour in
Paradise:
"WAS THAT ELIJAH? Stories by a writer who
knows how to avoid the
perils of connecting faith and fiction.
...Reading An Hour in
Jewish pilgrims in a medieval tapestry: seekers captured in the act of
seeking...Young and old are folded by Leegant into a prose of fine-boned
clarity and compassion." - The New York Times, October 5, 2003.
To read the full review, click here
"A story collection that dazzles with humanity and
other-worldliness." --
The
"... Throughout these stories, 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,
July 21,
2003. To read the full review, click
here.
"People imagine that as a book critic I read so much that there must
be
dozens of books I enjoy each year. But the truth is,
books about which I
am totally enthusiastic appear only every few years. Joan Leegant's
terrific first book of stories, "An Hour in
books."
- The Forward, September 12, 2003. To read the full review, click here.
"Fans of Allegra Goodman, Nathan
Englander, and even the magical exuberance
of Jonathan Safran Foer
will greet this collection warmly, of course, but
again and again Leegant's big themes -- love, marriage, illness, trust,
loyalty, friendship, secrets, the conflicts between parents and children,
the frailties of advanced age, the whole range of what someone here calls
"this impossible life" -- transcend religion, ethnicity, gender,
generation." -
To read the full review, click
here.
" ...Absorbing tales, with writing that's
full of verve and wit and Jewish
material that feels organic and authentic...Familiar in their yearnings,
disappointments and ultimate resilience, the Jews Leegant brings to life
linger with the reader." - Jewish Woman Magazine, Fall 2003.
To read the full review, click here.
"...Moments of mystical return and renewed commitment are the
resplendent
sparks that illuminate each work in 'An Hour in Paradise' ...With a
narrative voice that is part Gabriel Garcia Marquez, part Philip Roth and
part Jonathan Safran Foer,
[Leegant] traverses the spectrum of modern Jewish
identities to find commonalities of spirit or kavanah
- that talmudic
essence of intention - a yearning to connect." -- J, The Jewish News Weekly
of
To read the full review, click
here.
"A wide and varied talent...One definitely to
follow." Kirkus Reviews
“Move over, Nathan Englander. This collection is a dream of a read, its lovable
characters drawn with wit and warmth. Each story is a gift, a guided tour of a
perfect small calamity of the heart and soul.”
– Elinor Lipman, author of The Inn at Lake Devine
“Joan Leegant writes stories that last, stories that take root in the soul,
stories that seem
to have been written years ago, in a season when words and sentences mattered
much
more than they do today. The worlds she creates are all rendered with
care, and with
love, and with a steel-eyed resolve to give us the truth of ourselves. This
collection marks
the beginning of what I am certain will be a long and important literary
career.”
– Bret Lott, author of Jewel
“Joan Leegant is a gifted storyteller, blessed with the insight and wisdom to
highlight those
moments that change and define whole lives. These
characters—wildly different in voice
and situation, yet all craving a sense of self—all but leap from the page.
Their stories are
compelling and memorable.”
- Jill McCorkle, author of Creatures of Habit