One Night, Markovitch

Description

In the late 1930s, two men - Yaacov Markovitch, perennially unlucky in love, and Zeev Feinberg, virile owner of a lustrous moustache - are crossing the sea to marry women they have never met. They will rescue them from a Europe on the brink of catastrophe, bring them to the Jewish homeland and go their separate ways. But when Markovitch is paired with the beautiful Bella he vows to make her love him at any cost, setting in motion events that will change their lives in the most unexpected and capricious of ways.

Ayelet Gundar-Goshen was born in Israel in 1982. She holds an MA in Clinical Psychology from Tel Aviv University, has been a news editor on Israel's leading newspaper and has worked for the Israeli civil rights movement. Her film scripts have won prizes at international festivals, including the Berlin Today Award and the New York City Short Film Festival Award. One Night, Markovitch, her first novel, won the Sapir Prize for best debut. Her second novel, Waking Lions, will be published by Pushkin Press in 2016.

A marvellous novel... What won me over from the first page is the exuberant generosity of Gundar-Goshen's storytelling, the fine balance she sustains in her portrayal of the rich comedy of human experience... able to encompass both the small domestic details of men and women's lives and the large sweep of history Financial Times A lush debut... This is storytelling that feels instinctive, chasing characters into extreme situations... Gundar-Goshen exerts reassuring control over her narrative... both moving and satisfying' Guardian Utterly delightful... passionate, funny and very moving The Times Sensual, passionate... with a delicate balance of wit and woe... A remarkable achievement TLS Wry, ironically tinged and poignant... reminds us that the miraculous is only a step away from the mundane... this is a fable for the twenty-first century Sunday Telegraph A lively meditation on love and nationhood... this novel tackles some of the controversial subjects of our time and demonstrates that comedy is a powerful means of exploring serious themes -- Max Liu Independent Touching and often funny... infused with a rich and telling irony Sunday Times A narrative steeped in wit, beauty and drama... beautifully brocaded with humour and sensuality... Ayelet Gundar-Goshen is an exceptional literary talent, whose debut novel is an incredibly rich tale of history, love, obsession and new beginnings... A magnificent story, one that keeps you gripped from beginning to end Huffington Post A tragi-comic tale of origins and loneliness... Gundar-Goshen establishes a sprightly and original narrative voice and creates some wonderfully vivid Dickensian characters. She displays a fresh zesty imagination and balances the humour and sadness very skilfully Herald It's hard to believe One Night, Markovitch is a debut... It is genuinely funny and delightfully quirky... unpredictable, sensuous and vivid... The prose stays economical yet poetic, and the characters so pitifully human [that] it is, at times, immensely touching Big Issue A moving exploration of love, longing and belonging Daily Express Funny, poetic, yet heartbreaking... an excellent debut novel about the unfathomable mysteries of the human heart and the birth of Israel... It's set to rival Captain Corelli's Mandolin Lady Has eternal truths about humanity at its core, while telling a truly individual story. It is a wonderful book Writes of Woman (blog) A dazzlingly funny and tender story about love, betrayal and myth making Bookanista Vivid descriptions of landscape and irresistibly amusing dialogue... a dizzying assault on the senses, both intimate and epic... it has drama, sex, betrayal and humour - everything necessary Haaretz (Israel News) Gripping... beautifully evocative and there are perhaps half-a-dozen moments when your mouth will open in astonishment at some dramatic twist... There is something very simple, almost biblical, about the storytelling Jewish Chronicle One Night, Markovitch is a standout debut novel that is by turn mesmerising, elegant, funny and insightful. Gundar-Goshen is a storytelling voice to watch. Melissa Cox, Head of Books, Waterstones [A] dazzling debut novel... Her voice soars into magic realism with scenes evoking both Mel Brooks and Gabriel GarciaMarquez... [Gundar-Goshen] writeswith supreme confidence and a comic touch that ranges fromslapstick to sly humour. The honesty of her characters shows whycomedy can be the perfect vehicle for tragedy. Toronto Star