The Tree of Life, Book One: On the Brink of the Precipice, 1939

The Tree of Life: A Trilogy of Life in the Lodz Ghetto #1

by Chava Rosenfarb

On the Brink of the Precipice, the first volume of the trilogy The Tree of Life, describes the lives of the novel’s ten protagonists in the Lodz Ghetto before the outbreak of World War II. Chava Rosenfarb, herself a survivor of the Lodz Ghetto, Auschwitz, and Bergen-Belsen, draws on her own history to create realistic characters who struggle daily to retain a sense of humanity and dignity despite the physical and psychological effects of ghetto life. Although the novel depicts horrendous experiences, the light of faith in the human spirit shines through this novel’s every page.

Winner of the 1972 J. J. Segal Prize and the 1979 Manger Prize for Yiddish Literature

Genres: Jewish, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Holocaust, Judaism, World War II, Poland

314 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Holocaust survivor and Jewish-Canadian author of Yiddish poetry and novels

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holocaust fiction is not my idea of doing justice to the unthinkable, but… this masterpiece does. Rosenfarb brings new dimension to the most telling era in human history. Elie Wiesel, Primo Levi! Make room for this lady. She lived it, she wrote about it and she was a great writer. Rosenfarb brought reality into the world that I.B. Singer lovingly described. Two more in the trilogy and I can't wait to read and to learn. Surely, the plot leaves no room for surprise, but the characters all come to life. The 'life' comes to life. The loss is an iota less tragic with this book to remind. Never Again.

[Artur Wilczynski · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most powerful stories I have read. This opening volume of the Tree of Life trilogy was heart aching in its foreshadowing. The characters it builds are diverse and human. The writing is poetic and descriptive. I wish I had heard of this book years ago. Can’t wait to continue the trilogy.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book to become immersed in a world that no one should have to endure, becoming attached to doomed characters who will inspire you to life your life fully and with love and attention. The voice and structure of the author's original Yiddish shines through her daughter's translation and enhances the experience of this book. Now I have to bring myself to follow them into the ghetto and worse in Volume Two.

[Micebyliz]

I am sorry to say this book was kind of a slog. There are many good points, but you have to be persistent and keep reading. Way too much detail is what we would call TMI these days. And i am not sure how several of the stories actually ended. It's not clear from the narrative what really happened, or maybe that's intentional? seems not since the rest is so detailed that you want to scream.

[Dave Hirsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful portrait of many people in the Polish Lodz ghetto before and at the start of German occupation. Devastating and heartbreaking.

[Shoshana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fell into reading this book because it was discussed in another book I'd read, People Love Dead Jews, and as a group of us from work discussed that book, someone suggested reading The Tree of Life for discussion as well. I saw this book as a continuation of the Holocaust literature I read as an 11 or 12-year-old--and now this was Holocaust literature for adults, even though the young characters in it--Rachel, Bella, David--were the ones that most hooked me. As I reached the end of the book, however, I found myself even more compelled by the characters I found horrible in the beginning--Rumkowski and the English teacher. They do and say horrible things at first, but then become way more complicated, in particular, Rumkowski and his fascination with Hitler and delusions of working with him. There are 10 main characters in this story, and sometimes I couldn't keep track of them all. Some would appear and then disappear for a long while. But that gave me an overall sense of the diversity of Jews in Lodz, Poland, in 1939 (this first book in the trilogy covers that entire year) and how with so much diversity they were still intertwined. This book also showed me that with all my Holocaust education, there is still so much I don't know about that time and what happened across Europe. The chapter in which the Germans invade Poland--those events were new to me. I was also struck but how quickly lives were changed once the Germans invaded. I always thinking of the events of the war and Holocaust happening gradually to people, and yet while it was a slow build to September, 1939, the move to takeover and forced labor was quick. In the next book the characters will be in the ghetto, and while I know there won't be much hope of survival for any of them, I still feel I owe it to these characters to know them while they are alive.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know broadly why this isn’t well-known as a seminal masterpiece of Holocaust literature (written in Yiddish, in Canada, published in translation by an academic press) but also why isn’t this super well-known, because it’s fantastic. It’s a kaleidoscopic work that reminds me of 19th century novels in the best way, and you read the pre-war first volume with your heart in your throat, knowing nothing good will happen to the characters you’re starting to love so much. The new year anchor points are really well-done too.

[Celeste · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tough read due to the very descriptive narrative...you real feel like you lived in the Lodz ghetto...

[Lois Minsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

What should be a classic literary treasure. But not on any list that I know of. Amazing.

[VaughanPL]

Click here to find it in the catalogue.