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A review by cellardoor10
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
3.0
This was creative and interesting, but I struggled a little bit with the last 10% or so. A well-constructed hard-boiled detective novel set in an AU world. In this world, Israel was destroyed in 1948, and the United States funneled refugees to the Sitka region/island of Alaska, creating a geographically small community of a few million Jewish folks.
A fascinating concept based on an actual policy proposal (never enacted) that was put forward right before WWII, to populate Alaska with European refugees.
Michael Chabon has an interview at the end of the audiobook in which he talks about the inspiration being the idea of a place where Yiddish would be an important first and official language for the majority, based on a Yiddish book for travelers he found once.
I found the book very compelling, but I felt a little bit let down by the ending on this one. I also disliked the audiobook reader's voice for Berko, really grating and unpleasant to listen to. Otherwise a very good reader.
A fascinating concept based on an actual policy proposal (never enacted) that was put forward right before WWII, to populate Alaska with European refugees.
Michael Chabon has an interview at the end of the audiobook in which he talks about the inspiration being the idea of a place where Yiddish would be an important first and official language for the majority, based on a Yiddish book for travelers he found once.
I found the book very compelling, but I felt a little bit let down by the ending on this one. I also disliked the audiobook reader's voice for Berko, really grating and unpleasant to listen to. Otherwise a very good reader.