Set at the end of World War II, The Chosen tells the story of Danny and Reuven, teenagers who meet following a freak accident at a baseball game between their two opposing teams. Both boys are the same age, live near each other, and have never met because while they are both Jewish, they are radically different. Danny, a genius, is recluctant to follow his predisposed life purpose of succeeding his tyrannical father as the leader of their extreme Hasidic Jewish sect. Reuven, while still a dedicated Jew, has experienced a much different upbringing with his own father, a gentle scholar and rabbi, whose footsteps he plans to follow. As the horrors of the Holocaust are revealed, the reactions of the opposing Jewish camps threaten the existence of the boys' friendship, but they ultimately come to terms with their own faith and beliefs, as well as an acceptance and understanding of the other's.
Potok has crafted an intriguing insight to the Jewish religion and the passion that accompanies unwavering beliefs. Strong character development and skillful writing have helped this story seem timeless and relevant despite being first published more than 40 years ago. This is one novel I wouldn't have minded reading in my high school or college English classes.
Readers who enjoyed this book may also like these fiction titles: The Septembers of Shiraz: a Novel by Dalia Sofer, Harper Perennial, 2008 hones in on the Jewish persecution of a religious family living in Iraq. In turn, their non-religious son living in New York falls for the pious daughter of his Hasidic landlord. Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev, Heritage Reprints, 1943 (reissue). This literary fiction classic skillfully describes the growing divide between two generations of Russians.
Readers who enjoyed this book may also like these non-fiction titles: My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of his own Faith by Benyamin Cohen, HarperOne, 2008. Cohen, raised as an Orthodox Jew, had a crisis of faith that led him to visit a myriad of denominational churches before finding his way back to his religious origins. My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for his Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq by Ariel Sabar, Algonquin Books, 2008. The author grew up never understanding his own father. When he himself has a son, he finds himself trying to understand his father and embarks on a personal journey to achieve this goal.
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