The Forbidden Book
The Forbidden Book by Sacha Lamb, published by Levine Querido in 2024, is a young adult fiction novel that delves into themes of identity and survival against a backdrop of literary censorship and Jewish political consciousness. The story follows 17-year-old Sorel, who escapes her impending wedding by assuming the male identity of Isser Jacobs. As she navigates the dangers of her small city in the Pale of Settlement, Sorel encounters a world filled with smugglers, forgers, and dark forces, all while uncovering the truth about Isser Jacobs and her own identity.
Readers will find a rich narrative that intertwines elements of fantasy and historical fiction, exploring LGBTQ+ themes and Jewish culture. The novel presents a complex journey of self-discovery as Sorel confronts the challenges of her mistaken identity and the threats that come with it. With 251 pages, this edition offers an immersive experience into a world where magic and reality collide, inviting readers to reflect on the intricacies of gender and belonging.
Official synopsis Publisher
Set against a backdrop of literary censorship and growing Jewish political consciousness, Printz Honor and Stonewall award-winner Sacha Lamb’s sophomore novel is a soaring exploration of identity, survival, and ultimately, hope.
On the night before her wedding, 17-year-old Sorel leaps from a window and runs away from her life. To keep from being discovered, she takes on the male identity of Isser Jacobs — but it soon becomes clear that there is a real Isser Jacobs, and people want him dead. Her mistaken identity takes Sorel into the dark underworld of her small city in the Pale of Settlement, where smugglers, forgers, and wicked angels fight for control of the Jewish community. In order to make it out, Sorel must discover who Isser Jacobs really is — and who she wants to be.
P R A I S E
Best of the Year: Boston Globe * The Horn Book
“Thrums with fervent tension… steeped in Jewish folklore, queer awakening, and a reckoning of body and spirit…offers a fresh way into the messy tangle of gender, its freedoms, and its restrictions.”
—Reactor
“Rooted in Jewish history and brimming with magic, The Forbidden Book is at once a heart-pounding mystery and a poignant tale of identity and found family. Whatever the opposite of forbidden is (mandatory?) that’s what The Forbidden Book should be.”
—Isaac Blum, Morris Award Winning author of The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen
★ “Unique and absorbing…page-turning and attention-grabbing…There are many gripping twists and turns, along with dubious motivations, questions of faith and orthodoxy, friendship, identity (gender and otherwise)–and a stolen book that was ‘written by an angel, with its own hand.’”
—Horn Book (starred)
★ “A precise and deliberate storyteller… Lamb creates a historical fantasy world that is both deeply lived-in and immersive. This is a story that will undoubtedly possess more advanced readers from beginning to end.”
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred)
“The Forbidden Book is the perfect follow up to the masterpiece that was When the Angels Left the Old Country... Steeped in Jewish folklore and magic, I could not put this book down. The characters are all amazing–Sorel is brash in the best way, and I love them, and the ending had the perfect pay off.”
–Katherine Nazzaro, Porter Square Books, Boston MA
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