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Making an enlightening journey east in 'The Jewel Trader of Pegu'
In profound dispatches, a debut novel explores our humanity.
By Tammar Stein, Special to the Times
Published January 13, 2008
The Jewel Trader of Pegu is part travelogue, part love story, part philosophical discourse on humanity and the nature of faith, all told in a series of letters to a faraway cousin from whom there is never a reply. You'll need patience for this tale. Jeffrey Hantover doesn't open his debut novel with stunning literary acrobatics. There's no great hook to suck you in. No slick plot to entertain. Which isn't to say it isn't a lovely piece of work, only that it's quiet. It's shy. You'll have to spend some time getting to know each other before the book begins to give up its secrets, its treasures. And treasures there are. Abraham, the letter writer, is a 16th century Venetian Jew who has traveled to Pegu (in modern-day Myanmar) to buy jewels for his uncle. Nearly overwhelmed by culture shock, this quiet, thoughtful man distills his days into beautiful descriptions of the strange people, the wonders of the city and the odd customs of the land. Over time he begins to see how the many indignities and restrictions that he had grown used to in the Ghetto of Venice - Jews are not allowed windows or balconies that face out to the street, are not allowed to touch fruit in the market, are not allowed to wear bright colors except for the yellow hat all Jews must wear - do not apply to him in Pegu. The freedoms make him nearly reel with quiet joy. The lurid plot line in which he is asked to deflower Peguan maidens on their wedding nights is handled with grace and dignity as Abraham grows to see past the physical differences of dress, tattoos and piercings, and the cultural differences of faith and marriage, to the common humanity that lies in everyone. His realization unfolds profoundly and beautifully, as important a discovery today as it was 400 years ago in Pegu. Tammar Stein is the author of the critically acclaimed novel "Light Years." The Jewel Trader of Pegu By Jeffrey Hantover William Morrow, 240 pages, $21.95
[Last modified January 9, 2008, 18:21:04]
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