Being Jewish

Virtually every element in this book – story, characters, plot, secondary themes – is defined, in one way or another, by an exploration of what it means to be Jewish. The meaning and value of Jewish ritual, the sanctity and safety of the Jewish homeland (Israel), the history – and historic treatment – of the Jewish people are all foundational elements of the story’s central narrative lines and core thematic premise. This last is grounded in the idea that being Jewish is a fundamental, and ultimately preemptive, shaper of individual identity.

There are two essential points to note about how the novel explores this theme. The first has to do with the sense that for the most part, explorations of being Jewish are confined to manifestations of faith, rather than of aspects of the faith itself. In other words, there is little or no reference to the spiritual...