Summary

In Chapter 1, on Sunday, July 17, Slava was woken by the phone ringing just after 5 a.m. It was his mother telling him that his grandmother was dead. He had not seen or spoken to his parents in weeks if not a month. He agreed he’d come for the funeral, planned for that day. Even though Slava felt his grandmother had raised him, he’d seen her only once in the past year.

Slava went from his apartment in Manhattan to his grandfather’s in Brooklyn. Slava learned his mother was at Grusheff’s Funeral Home making funeral arrangements with a man his grandfather believed was a rabbi but Slava knew was only a man who could provide a Torah compliant funeral. Grandfather introduced Slava to his new home attendant, Berta. She was busy cooking food for after the funeral.

Because Slava had not...