Meir Shalev in Queens, NY

On November 15, Meir Shalev, one of Israel’s leading writers of nonfiction and fiction, will be the featured speaker at the 14th Annual Author’s Café of the Central Queens YM & YWHA in Forest Hills. The event kicks off at 2PM. Blue Mountain was the first of Shalev’s books I read, not long after I came to Israel. I adored the book’s three generations of Israeli-Ukranians, but did find some of the characters flat. I think it was the translation, because his most recent book, A Pigeon and a Boy is fabulous (here's a review, also). The book weaves past and present together, telling two stories—one of a slightly bizarre pigeon handler from Israel’s early years, and the second of his son, an Israeli tour guide going through a bit of a mid life crisis. There is a bit of history, Jewish culture, and some really fabulous characters. But that summation sells the book short, and I’d recommend the book and, if you’re in the area, a listen to the author.