Manchester’s latest novel is a must-read

The hunter of Talyashevka through MICHAEL DAVIDOW

Monica reads: A review of MONICA WEST

The hunter of Talyashevka is a most interesting read. It is essentially a story of the history of the Jewish faith within the borders of Russia in 1926. Author Michael Davidow draws on his extensive knowledge of history and religion to tell the story. story of Jews in Russia at this time and of an American journalist who travels to Kiev in search of filming locations.

Each of Davidow’s characters adds their own stories to the mix. The story is told through a collection of individuals who meet a former immigrant who grew up in America and is returning to his homeland.

They all connect in one city and travel to Talyashevka in search of mysterious paintings and velvets that his family presented to him after they left for America. The child of Russia returns to Russia on a mission to find them.

Are they real? The government lends him a guard while he searches and meets other Russians and the secret police along the way. At the time, they all had different opinions about Lenin, the Tsar, and Stalin. The reader gets an overview of each.

Everyone who searches has seen wars, violence and pogroms. Who is fighting for whom and why? That is the question.

If you are interested in religion in any form, you will be fascinated. Historically speaking, The hunter of Talyashevka is a wonderful journey through time and place.

“The train, quite slow at the start, had finally stopped dead on the rails. The railroad workers didn’t bother explaining what was going on either. They didn’t seem to mind the prospect of being late, ”writes Davidow in the first chapter, inviting us to come for a most interesting walk.

If you’ve read Davidow’s other novels, you know his elegant writing style, which makes it impossible to pose this book.

Davidow did a very thorough job on the history of the Jews and the religion of the time. In addition, it is very enlightening regarding the depth of Marxist / Communist thought processes. You will rethink the collective spirit.

Michael Davidow was born in Boston and raised in Manchester. He is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the University of Michigan School of Law. After working in Boston and Washington, DC, he returned to New Hampshire, where he practices criminal defense. He and his wife Catherine have a son.

Davidow also writes the column Radio Free New Hampshire for InDepthNH.org.

The book is available with Davidow’s other novels on Amazon.com. He is the author of Gate City, Split Thirty, and The Rocketdyne Commission, three novels about politics and advertising that, taken together, form The Henry Bell Project. He also wrote The book of the order.

Monica West reviews books for InDepthNH.org. Monica is known for her love of history and her lifelong love of reading. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history, with a minor in English. “My years of reading for leisure and pleasure gave me the insight to read a book and analyze the baggage, cargo and the author’s ability to write the language of his mind and use the gift of prose to educate and entertain the reader. Go get a book, read it and enjoy the adventure.