Severed Wing: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding - Uplifting AND Disturbing
Review: An absolutely incredible book, a true page-turner. As one of those rare under-40 secular Jews who speaks Yiddish, I found the description of a modern world where Yiddish is just another daily language to be like a dream-come-true. And Ladino! Despite the problems described/hinted at, I'd transport myself to Mr. Gidron's timeline without any hesitation whatsoever.

Amazing that while there is a tonne of fiction (though still not enough) about what the world be like if Hitler (may his name be erased) won, there is next to nothing on what it would be like if the 6+ million had not been murdered. My mother's cousin who was studying to be a doctor... or the one who was a cook... the students, the philosophers, the Esperantists... what would the world be like if they'd been allowed to live, and their children been born? I'd never really allowed myself to think of it... thanks to Mr. Gidron, I do. His usage of the disappearance of people and institutions was jarring and extremely effective - giving a real feel for what it was like for those living at the time of the Khurb'n to have large chunks of their lives/culture literally ripped and annihilated from their lives.

A wish of mine would be to see Mr. Gidron - or Harry Turtledove, or Robert Silverberg, or any Jewish author explore this genre further. Heck, I'd love for Mr. Gidron to give us more of the world that isn't - without the coalescence into our world... Personally, I could happily read about a world where the Freyheyt is just another paper, where Yiddish is common, where you can go to Europe and still have thriving Jewish centres in every town and city; just enjoy the vitality and 'normality' of such a world. All succeeding generations of Jews have had that world stolen from US, as well.

Rating:
Summary: An eerie and harrowing mystery to solve
Review: Martin J. Girdon's The Severed Wing is a fascinating novel of set in a parallel-universe history. Teddy Roosevelt was elected a third term and America entered World War I sooner, and neither WW II nor the Holocaust ever occurred. In the present day, bizarre events start happening - people and places with a Jewish connection begin to mysteriously disappear, and the protagonist Janusz, keeps receiving mail that attempts to assign him a "credit card number", is confronted with an eerie and harrowing mystery to solve before time runs out. The Severed Wing is highly recommended as a literate, engaging, science fiction page-turner.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting and Engaging
Review: This book was a real page turner. It's a well written and sophisticated book that keeps the reader engaged.

Rating:
Summary: A Well Written Page Turner
Review: This sophisticated novel is an engaging, well written, page-turner. It was enjoyable to read and left the reader with much to think about.