My First Love Affair and Other Stories

A prolific, dedicated, and compassionate humorist, Sholom Aleichem (1859-1916) created literary gems that have not only become an important part of Jewish cultural life, they have captured the hearts of readers around the world, even serving as an inspiration for a classic of musical theater — Fiddler on the Roof. Timeless tributes to the Jews of Eastern Europe, his stories of the shtetl combine the ancient traditions of Hasidic tales and Jewish humor with the aesthetics of Western literature.

 

The 20 selections in this volume include some of Sholom Aleichem’s finest tales, among them “Progress in Kasrilevke,” “Summer Romances,” “Birth,” “There’s No Dead,” “Someone to Envy,” “Three Widows,” “Homesick,” “On America,” “A Home Away from Home," “To the Hot Springs,” and the title story.

 

Curt Leviant is the prize-winning author of several novels, including Diary of an Adulterous Woman, Partita in Venice, The Man Who Thought He Was Messiah, Passion in the Desert, and The Yemenite Girl.