All right, I admit it. I read every installment of The
Legacy when it was serialized in the English Yated
a few years back, and even clipped each chapter to share with
my nieces abroad. The themes were interesting, the characters
diverse, and the overall message one of hope and faith.
So imagine my excitement when I heard that The Legacy
was just published in book form and distributed worldwide by
Feldheim!
Having the whole story in front of you is even better than
waiting for weekly installments. The delightful twin
protagonists, Tami and Menachem, have grown up a bit from the
original serialization, casting a more mature slant to the
story that will appeal to adult readers as well. And the
stunning graphic design, starting with the magnificent cover
image of a Swiss chalet nestled in the towering Alps, makes
every chapter an exciting experience of discovery, intrigue
and just plain fun.
When Miriam Braun, a Jerusalem mother of ten, brings Tami and
Menachem to visit their grandmother in Zurich, the twins are
introduced to the strange new world of Swiss precision,
cleanliness, and courtesy. Chief representatives of this
sanitized worldview are their own Uncle Robert, Aunt Vera,
and cousins Margie and Peter, who in turn are astounded by
their religious relatives' warm-hearted, giving nature.
Coincidentally, an Austrian villain with the same last name
has arrived in Switzerland to rob the Jewish People of
unclaimed Holocaust era assets. Herr Braun and his unlikely
group of conspirators keep running into Tami and Menachem at
every turn, unconsciously involving the visitors in
international intrigue. The race is on as both heroes and
villains try to discover the number of one particularly
valuable secret Swiss bank account.
The Legacy easily appeals to readers of all ages.
Children will enjoy the fast-paced action, the meaningful
conversations that are maddeningly interrupted time and
again, and the bumbling villains who keep falling short of
their sinister plans. Adults will enjoy the interactions
between Jews of different countries and backgrounds, and the
gentle way the religious Brauns win over their non-religious
relatives.
What makes this novel especially endearing is its portrayal
of Torah Jews. The image is positive without being preachy.
It is conveyed through Tami's infectious laughter, Miriam's
loving concern, and the incredible hospitality of people like
their newfound Swiss friends, the Grossmans. The reader, too,
desires to be entertained by the elegant, hospitable Savta
Braun or the warm and welcoming Lefkowitz family, owners of a
Jewish Alpine resort. Margie and Peter, secular products of
the most prestigious Swiss schools, are simply bowled over by
the depth and richness of a heritage they never knew was
theirs, as well.
Sarah Kistner, a popular Israeli author and editor of the
Hebrew Yated's weekly children's magazine, Yated
Shelanu, peppers her story with special touches that add
depth to the narrative. For example, both Savta Braun, a
child of Berlin's pre-war Jewish community, and Count Hans, a
rich, pampered Swiss magnate, reminisce longingly about "the
good old days" - - but for very different reasons. Meanwhile,
Miriam, Tami and Menachem paint captivating word-pictures of
the beauty of Torah life, gradually convincing their Swiss
relatives to try Yiddishkeit on for size.
In one lovely scene, Margie brings her Aunt Miriam to a spot
high in the Alps to paint an idyllic scene of shepherds
leading their flocks up the sides of snow- capped peaks. As
she assembles her paints, the girl asks her aunt what the
scenery looks like in Eretz Yisrael. Miriam responds with a
medley of description covering everything from the
geographical diversity of the Land to the magic of its cities
to the spiritual grandeur of Jerusalem itself:
"Miriam sat, detailing Jerusalem in all its glory, while the
day slowly turned golden. Margie could not hear enough, and
kept asking for more and more details. Noontime neared, but
neither one of them noticed time or place. The snowy
mountains had disappeared, and in their place stood a wall
surrounded by arching gates with doves circling above it.
"Margie did not see the snow blending with the forests, nor
the flock climbing up the mountain, nor the shepherds with
their hats and their whistles, nor the lovely Swiss chalets.
Margie's brush painted on the canvas as though of its own
accord the Jerusalem that was in her heart."
The Legacy is the latest addition to a growing library
of books produced by a new publisher on the Jewish literary
scene, Jerusalem Publications. Like the already-published
Walking Together by Yehudis Schreiber and the instant
bestseller Tightrope by Leah Fried, The Legacy
is Jewish fiction at its best -- translated, edited and
packaged especially for the English language audience.
