War, Family, Love: Read an Extract from Night Lessons in Little Jerusalem by Rick Held

War, Family, Love: Read an Extract from Night Lessons in Little Jerusalem by Rick Held

Technically, Tholdi – pronounced Toldi – had been a man already for exactly three years. Since his barmitzvah when by Jewish law he became accountable for his own actions. But according to Alex, Tholdi’s best friend, there was another rite to be performed, another threshold to be crossed. And so it was, on a mild evening early in the European summer of 1941, that Tholdi found himself on a tram travelling towards an appointment to surrender his virginity.

Tholdi was younger than Alex by almost two years, but they were like brothers. They’d grown up in each other’s homes, in the same apartment building with a shared courtyard. Their fathers had done business together. Their mothers had swapped recipes and secrets. And Alex, who lost his virginity at fifteen, had no doubt it was time for Tholdi to lose his.

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A Deeply Moving Account Inspired by a True Story: Review of Night Lessons in Little Jerusalem by Rick Held

Review | Our Review

4 May 2020

A Deeply Moving Account Inspired by a True Story: Review of Night Lessons in Little Jerusalem by Rick Held

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    Rick Held Talks About his Novel, Night Lessons in Little Jerusalem

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    11 May 2020

    Rick Held Talks About his Novel, Night Lessons in Little Jerusalem

      Publisher details

      Night Lessons in Little Jerusalem
      Author
      Rick Held
      Publisher
      Hachette
      Genres
      Fiction, Historical Fiction
      Released
      28 April, 2020
      ISBN
      9780733641664

      Synopsis

      The hero of this book was not a saint, nor even a tzadik - the nearest Jewish equivalent - but he was a hero. Someone who risked his own life to make a difference to the life of another. Were his motives selfless? No. He was after all flesh and blood. A man. And a very young one. But life is not black and white. Heroes are not without their flaws. This is his story.Tholdi is a romantic. A musical prodigy whose brilliant future is extinguished when the horror unfolding across Europe arrives at his door. One day he's captivated by the beautiful, mysterious Lyuba who he meets on his sixteenth birthday; the next he wakes to the terrors of war as the Nazi-allied Romanians attack his town of Czernowitz.A ghetto is built to imprison the town's Jews before herding them onto trains bound for the concentration camps of Transnistria. With each passing day, Tholdi and his parents await their turn. And then Fate intervenes, giving them all a reprieve.At the weaving mill Tholdi secures work that spares him. He is elated. Until he discovers the two brothers who run the mill are Nazi collaborators hiding a terrible secret: the threat of transportation remains. When Tholdi sees one of the brothers with Lyuba, he glimpses a way to save himself and his family. But the stakes of his gamble are high. Will Lyuba be the key to their survival, or will Tholdi's infatuation with her become a dangerous obsession that guarantees their death?NIGHT LESSONS IN LITTLE JERUSALEM is an unforgettable debut novel of war, family and love.
      Rick Held
      About the author

      Rick Held

      Rick Held studied creative writing at Victoria University before taking up a position at Crawford Productions, then Australia's premier producer of television drama. He has since had a long career as a TV screenwriter and editor, working on numerous series including the critically acclaimed A Place to Call Home and the popular family drama Packed to the Rafters. Since 1997 he has been based in Sydney. Night Lessons in Little Jerusalem, inspired by his father's wartime memoir, is his first novel.

      Books by Rick Held

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