The Laws of Return: A Novel

by Cameron Stracher

Colin Stone, third-generation American and secular Jew, is the narrator of Cameron Stracher's debut novel, The Laws of Return. Colin lives in a world cast loose from spiritual moorings, a world where "kids get what they want...the Hanukkah man sees to that." Growing up in the wealthy suburbs of New York, Colin dreams of flying in the Israeli Air Force, his "sonic boom heralding a new age"; he attends Hebrew school, and is bar-mitzvahed, but is never really touched by his religion. Embarking on a personal journey toward faith and self-discovery, he finds himself, instead, bleaching into the blond hills of western Massachusetts. Later his search takes him to the hallowed halls of Harvard Law School, and finally on an odyssey to the Arctic Circle.
But what Colin seeks turns out to be closer to home. He falls in love with a woman who celebrates the irrational and, in a final confrontation with an unrepentant bigot, he discovers a truth that the laws of science and society cannot explain.
Stracher's debut puts a new twist on the story of the Wandering Jew. At its heart, The Laws of Return is a romantic and humorous exploration of the ambivalence many of us feel toward the role religion and spirituality play in our lives.

Genres: Fiction

245 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1996

About the author

Cameron Stracher practices and teaches law. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the New York Times Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal, among other publications. He lives in Westport, CT, with his wife, two children, and two dogs, not necessarily in that order.

Reviews

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat esoteric novel about a young man's struggle with identity from childhood to adulthood. I fluctuated between enjoyment, boredom and confusion as the story progressed. I was interested enough in the main character's journey to reach the end only to be underwhelmed with the last chapter.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

LAW OF RETURN (Historical-Spain-1940) - VG
Pawel, Rebecca – 2nd in series
Soho, 2004- Hardcover
Calos Tejada, recently promoted to Lieutenant in the Guardia Civil, has been transferred to Salamanca. One of his duties is to monitor parolees, including professors who protested the Franco decree. When one of the parolees is missing and a body, which may be his, is found, Tejada must investigate his associates, including the father of Elena Fernandez, a woman to whom Tejada is attracted.
*** This is a period of history about which I know very little. Pawel is an excellent writer and has created an interesting, intelligent and complex character in Tejada. On one hand, he will use force if he feels it is "necessary," and yet he is a good man caught in a time of political loyalties. They story is not as gripping as "Death of a Nationalist," which I highly recommend and would read first, but is more of a mystery and suspense set during a time of political turmoil. I was completely caught up by the story and found it a straight-through, four-hour read. Highly recommended.