Description:
Renowned Jewish vocalist and writer Elizabeth Schwartz's first book of fiction, "The Sweet Fragrance of Life & Other Stories" is a meditation on historic European Jewish Culture seen through the lens of a woman's point of view.
As if Sholem Ale-ichem and Angela Carter had a child, The Sweet Fra-grance of Life & Oth-er Hor-ror Sto-ries explores Euro-pean Jew-ish his-to-ry, cul-ture, and real world events through a fem-i-nist, shtetl perspective.
This is an eerie collection of new Jewish themed horror stories from a world that was. A Rabbi commits the gravest of sins as he lusts for a younger wife, evil is lurking in an apartment building in pre-war Germany and a young girl experiences hell at sea. These are thrilling and dark stories, but also political reflections about racism and misogyny.
Brief description:
Elizabeth Schwartz co-created the award-winning audio dramas The Witches of Lublin and Debs in Canton, both for Suemedia Productions. She contributed a chapter on klezmer vocal technique to Shpil: The Art of Playing Klezmer. Her recipes of Jewish food can be found in A Wandering Feast: A Journey Through the Jewish Culture of Eastern Europe, Zydzi Od Kuchni, and It's Always About the Food. She is also an acclaimed vocalist with Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi and has been hailed as "the Edith Piaf of Yiddish." To learn more about her, visit www.Elizabeth-Schwartz.com.
Review Quotes:
"The author weaves in rich historical particulars, from the political climate of decades past to an account of a real-life incident that inspired one of the tales herein. Smooth, descriptive prose makes these short stories fly by. This exceptional collection's brevity is sure to leave readers wanting more. A set of mesmerizing stories that wraps up way too soon."
-- "Kirkus Reviews"