Going To Jerusalem

Description for GOING TO JERUSALEM by Judith Bruder: Totally unique and totally unexpected, Judith Bruder's captivating and funny first novel gives us THE CANTERBURY TALES... with modern faces and voices. A group of travelers is encouraged by their guide, Harry Bailley , to tell stories to make their Passover trip through Israel---from the majestic hills of the northern Galilee to the bustling desert town of Beersheba in the south---more enjoyable. But this pilgrimage is a bus tour, and the pilgrims are a group of American Jews (and one Gentile!) as varied and as colorful as Chaucer's great assembly, including everyone from a Cabdriver, a Plastic Surgeon, and a Hasid to a Caterer, a Lawyer, and a Housewife (who is our narrator)... The stories they tell spark lively, often heated, discussions, especially when...a Widow, Married three times, gives advice on---what else?---love, turning the story of Naomi and Ruth into a how-to manual for landing a good man...a Philanthropist tells of two beggars suddenly transformed into rich men, who face a difficult test...the Tri-State Interfaith Chairperson's Lieutenant explains why "miracles are hard on a mother"...and English Professor, "a bleeding-heart liberal who never found a single drop to spare for any Jewish cause," recalls a false Messiah who fleetingly brought hope to the Jews...and when, nearing Jerusalem, a Rabbi (of course!) draws their stories---and their differences---together, making the end of their journey a true beginning for these pilgrims Beautifully written and a delight to read, GOING TO JERUSALEM returns storytelling to its rightful place as a powerful vehicle for relating universal, often bittersweet truths about contemporary life.