Hester Among the Ruins

A young Jewish-American historian going to Munich to do research on medieval traditions and customs - that's the seemingly harmless starting point of Binnie Kirshenbaum's new novel.But the story soon takes a more dangerous twist when the ambitious and well assimilated Hester Rosenfeld who has so far only devoted herself to American colonial history falls in love with her German advisor, professor Heinrich Falk, who is twenty years older than her. On the spur of the moment she throws all caution to the wind and decides to write his biography as "a typical German" of the post-war generation, who was "born in the shadows of history", in Germany's darkness and shame.This "project" which is part of a charming and innocent "folie à deux" is by its very nature bound to fail, but Binnie Kirshenbaum is a skilful and clever author who derives an amazing amount of insight from her first person narrator's futile attempts to deal with the horrors of the past and the oddities of the present. Not only does Hester Rosenfeld meet many quirky German characters in her quest, not only does she realize how much the feelings of guilt have created an uneasy mixture of shame and philosemitism in Germany, but she eventually becomes aware of her own Jewishness in ways that she didn't know about in her earlier life.The result is a fascinating, dark, sexy novel, full of light, funny moments. I've followed Binnie Kirshenbaum's earlier books with great enthusiasm, I loved 'Disturbance in one Place' and 'Pure Poetry', but there is no doubt that 'Hester' is her most political statement so far.I heard Binnie Kirshenbaum read in Berlin and I got the impression that the German audience well appreciates the fact that there are American writers who are interested in the Old Continent, who listen to what people here have to say and who take the message back home.

Kirshenbaum delivers once again with her special blend of bittersweet romance, finely drawn characters and a protagonist for the ages. When Hester Rosenfeld comes to Munich to be with her older, intellectual German lover, and write his story, what follows is a complicated tale of love. Theirs is a relationship between people so simliar, yet opposite, with pasts that Kirshenbaum explores with dignity and hilarity all at once. Hester's observations of Munich, her investigation into her lover's life, and her independent yet devastatingly romantic spirit make her the perfect modern everywoman. This is a novel that tackles universal truths with a deft hand. Have you read Kirshenbaum's other novels? Start now and be forever grateful!

I loved this book, and I've read it three times. On my third read, I looked at the way Binnie Kirshbaum handled the nature of betrayal since she manages to explore almost every type of betrayal that exists: betrayal between lovers, betrayal of parents, betrayal of goverments, betrayal of memory, and, of course, the ultimate betrayal of life itself, death. Inevitably we can't live unless we are willing to accept betrayal in every aspect of our lives. Though this sounds pessimistic, the book is very funny and optimistically points out how we live with everything on which we cannot count.

In this most elegantly written and constructed novel, the protagonist, Dr. Hester Rosenfeld is forced to confront her own Jewish identity as she pursues a love affair with a German professor twenty years her senior. Living in a small hotel in Munich in order to fulfill her role as the Other Woman, Hester denies the value of her own heritage, from rejecting her immigrant parents on. However, as an intelligent researcher she cannot avoid the questions about a Nazi connection to her lover/subject's past. This slowly leads Hester to acceptance of herself - and ultimately the moment of unresolvable conflict between German and Jew in the shadow of the Holocaust. This is a rich and complex exploration that is also entertaining and humorous. I highly recommend it!

I was so moved by this book; the story of an impossible or improbable love was achingly portrayed against the haunting legacy of the Holocaust. Yet, amazingly enough, much of it was really funny. It is also really intelligent without pretense. The technique of the collage effect with letters and pictures and quotes from history books added to the believability of the characters' professions and it also made for layers upon layers of things to think about. Amazing book. This is the best novel I've read in ages.