To Samarkand and Back

To Samarkand and Back is a gripping collection of stories about a young Jewish girl and her family, driven out of Poland by the advancing Nazis. Each story is shaped around an object, event or perception from childhood memory – elegant shoes, a haircut, the mysterious death of a neighbour child – and knitted with such richness of texture and generosity of spirit that it is a joy to read. Hugh Maclennan described this book as a “masterpiece”.