Oh Sweden! oh Israel!

On the eve of his bar mitzvah, Jacob's mother leaves his father for another man - a goy. It's 1987 and while family relations are breaking down, the first intifada is breaking out in Israel and the local Jewish community is breaking apart. As if becoming an adolescent wasn't a challenge enough, Jacob now finds himself caught in the crossfire of parental and factional conflict. From the first glimpse of Protestant penises after gym class to the furious debate over whether the doddering Rabbi has cursed the congregation by dropping the Torah scrolls, Jacob observes the mysteries of the world around him with a mixture of puzzlement and amusement. Full of good stories, deep ironies, and impetuous charm, Oh Sweden! Oh Israel! takes the classic coming-of-age shtick and gives it a fresh and impressive literary twist.