Bruckstein's two novellas, published for the first time in English, offer a fascinating depiction of rural life in the Carpathians around the time of the Second World War, tracing the chilling descent into disorder and fear of two cosmopolitan communities that had hitherto appeared to be havens of religious and racial acceptance, but which were in fact constructed on foundations of prejudice and discrimination. Bruckstein presents the effects of the Holocaust not only on the Jewish community, but also the wider Christian society. His novellas tell cautionary tales of how gradual changes that individually seem inconsequential can lead to catastrophic alterations in the very fabric of society which, by the time they are acknowledged, are irreversible. These stories serve as a warning that passivity and political apathy can sometimes be just as harmful as actions.

About the Author
Ludovic Bruckstein was a Romanian/Jewish author and playwright who grew up in Sighet, in the Northern region of Transylvania, a town well known for its flourishing pre-war Jewish community and Hassidic tradition. Bruckstein edited a Yiddish newspaper called "Our Life" (Unzer Lebn), and in 1947 he wrote a play, describing a Sonder-kommando revolt in Auschwitz. The play, titled "The Night Shift" (Nacht-Shicht), written in Yiddish, was presented in Romania by both the Bucharest and Iassy Yiddish theaters, and was the first literary representation of this true event. His novels and stories are translated into Hebrew, French and English.


Book Information
ISBN 9781912545315
Author Ludovic Bruckstein
Format Paperback
Page Count 190
Imprint Istros Books
Publisher Istros Books