In Babylon A Novel
In Babylon A Novel by Marcel Moring, published by HarperCollins on March 22, 2000, is a richly imagined narrative that explores the themes of family and heritage. Translated from Dutch by Stacey Knecht, this first edition spans 432 pages and presents a story set against the backdrop of a severe winter blizzard in the East Netherlands. The plot follows Nathan Hollander and his niece, Nina, as they find themselves snowbound in the house of Nathan’s late Uncle Herman, where they encounter both family ghosts and an unsettling presence.
As Nathan and Nina wait for the storm to pass, they delve into their family’s history, tracing the journey of itinerant Jewish clockmakers from Eastern Europe to the Netherlands and eventually to America in 1939. The narrative unfolds with the discovery of extraordinary family tales and unresolved mysteries, including the fate of a brilliant ancestor named Zeno and the circumstances surrounding Uncle Herman’s death. This novel weaves together elements of fiction and historical inquiry, inviting readers to reflect on the complexities of identity and belonging.
Official synopsis Publisher
Translated from the Dutch by Stacey Knecht
Published in Europe to tremendous critical acclaim, this richly imagined international bestseller weaves a gloriously inventive and very human story about man’s constant drive from the Old World to the New–and his desire, despite everything, for home and homeland
The worst winter blizzard the East Netherlands has seen in many years has left Nathan Hollander and his niece, Nina, snowbound in the deserted house of his late Uncle Herman. But they are not alone: Apart from Chaim and Magnus, two seventeenth-century family ghosts, there is another presence, unknown and unfriendly. As they wait for the storm to subside, Nathan and Nina piece together the story of their forefathers, a family of itinerant Jewish clockmakers who came to the Netherlands from Eastern Europe, and then fled to America in 1939. An extraordinary family history emerges, as well as many unsolved mysteries: For instance, what happened to the brilliant Zeno, who became a leader of a messianic sect and then vanished without a trace; why did Uncle Herman, a respected academic, end up dying in such undignified circumstances–underneath an eighteen-year-old call girl?
The worst winter blizzard the East Netherlands has seen in many years has left Nathan Hollander and his niece, Nina, snowbound in the deserted house of his late Uncle Herman. But they are not alone: Apart from Chaim and Magnus, two seventeenth-century family ghosts, there is another presence, unknown and unfriendly. As they wait for the storm to subside, Nathan and Nina piece together the story of their forefathers, a family of itinerant Jewish clockmakers who came to the Netherlands from Eastern Europe, and then fled to America in 1939. An extraordinary family history emerges, as well as many unsolved mysteries: For instance, what happened to the brilliant Zeno, who became a leader of a messianic sect and then vanished without a trace; why did Uncle Herman, a respected academic, end up dying in such undignified circumstances–underneath an eighteen-year-old call girl?The worst winter blizzard the East Netherlands has seen in many years has left Nathan Hollander and his niece, Nina, snowbound in the deserted house of his late Uncle Herman. But they are not alone: Apart from Chaim and Magnus, two seventeenth-century family ghosts, there is another presence, unknown and unfriendly. As they wait for the storm to subside, Nathan and Nina piece together the story of their forefathers, a family of itinerant Jewish clockmakers who came to the Netherlands from Eastern Europe, and then fled to America in 1939. An extraordinary family history emerges, as well as many unsolved mysteries: For instance, what happened to the brilliant Zeno, who became a leader of a messianic sect and then vanished without a trace; why did Uncle Herman, a respected academic, end up dying in such undignified circumstances–underneath an eighteen-year-old call girl?
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