Looking For a Good Book

THROWBACK THURSDAY: REVIEWING A REISSUE

In a small European village, a young girl named Kicsi observes how a town is forced into the modern world and forced to see the hatred in the world.

A strange magician, by the name of Voros comes to town.  Kicsi is fascinated by this man, a man who claims to be much older than he looks.  Voros is thankful for the kind treatment he gets from Kicsi’s father and to show his appreciation, he lifts a curse that had been placed on her father by the local Rabbi.  The Rabbi curses any parent who chooses to send their child to the school after the school starts teaching Hebrew.  This sets the Rabbi against many of the town’s citizens.

The Rabbi has been the leader of the village for a long time but he is losing the control he has had and Voros’ arrival will lead to a showdown between religious mysticism and secular magic.  Kicsi sees this coming and knows that despite being taught to respect and listen to the Rabbi, she will follow Voros.

Voros warns of an imminent threat of the village … a threat called Nazi Germany.  He claims to have seen the atrocities that have been committed in other villages along the way.  But the hubris of the Rabbi claims that he can protect his people, as he has done for a long time.  And ultimately he throws Voros out of the town, but realizes his error, and that he could use Voros’ magic, too late.

The style of this book is magical realism.  It is part fable, part myth, part folktale.  It is a lovely, well-told, haunting story that fits perfectly the people, the places, the world in which it is placed.

This book was the National Book Award winner from 1983 and I am very glad that Open Road Media has reissued this.

Looking for a good book?  The Red Magician by Lisa Goldstein is a deep, magical tale that will suck you in and hold onto you well after you’ve finished the book.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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The Red Magician

author: Lisa Goldstein

publisher: Open Road Media Sci-Fi and Fantasy

ASIN: B00N2CLWN2

Kindle Edition, 144 pages