The Association of Jewish Libraries has given Max Gross its annual award for best Jewish fiction, for his debut novel âThe Lost Shtetl.â
The latest recognition for Grossâs mesmerizing modern-day Yiddish tale was announced Monday by the professional organization of Judaica librarians. âTo Be a Man: Stories,â by Nicole Krauss, and âApeirogon: A Novel,â by Colum McCann, also received honors.
Set at the end of the 20th century, âThe Lost Shtetlâ transports readers to the imaginary Polish village of Kreskol, an isolated shtetl that has been forgotten by the outside world â including by the Nazis, who overlooked it when seeking to exterminate Europeâs Jews. After their village reestablishes contact with the outside world, Grossâ characters confront modern life, assimilation, anti-Semitism, love and politics.