The Angel of Losses

by Stephanie Feldman

The Tiger's Wife meets A History of Love in this inventive, lushly imagined debut novel that explores the intersections of family secrets, Jewish myths, the legacy of war and history, and the bonds between sisters

When Eli Burke dies, he leaves behind a mysterious notebook full of stories about a magical figure named The White Rebbe, a miracle worker in league with the enigmatic Angel of Losses, protector of things gone astray, and guardian of the lost letter of the alphabet, which completes the secret name of God.

When his granddaughter, Marjorie, discovers Eli's notebook, everything she thought she knew about her grandfather--and her family--comes undone. To find the truth about Eli's origins and unlock the secrets he kept, she embarks on an odyssey that takes her deep into the past, from 18th century Europe to Nazi-occupied Lithuania, and back to the present, to New York City and her estranged sister Holly, whom she must save from the consequences of Eli's past.

Interweaving history, theology, and both real and imagined Jewish folktales, The Angel of Losses is a family story of what lasts, and of what we can-and cannot-escape.

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Jewish, Literary Fiction, Judaism

280 pages, Hardcover

First published July 29, 2014

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Angel of Losses” is beautifully written and well crafted, but I suspect its readership will be limited to those who are interested in Jewish Mysticism and folklore.

The main story is a standard domestic fiction premise: two sisters, who were very close growing up, grow apart in college. One sister (Holly) marries out of her faith, into Orthodox Judaism, and withdraws from the family. The sister left behind, Marjory, wants her relationship with her sister back.

What author Stephanie Feldman does to add depth to the story and the characters, is add the background of obscure Jewish texts/folklore/ancient legends. Marjorie is writing her PHD dissertation on “the Wandering Jew”. Holly’s new husband is a member of a “BerukhimYeshiva” a small Jewish sect that the author made up, and studies Jewish mysticism. Through the novel, Marjorie finds similarities in her “Wondering Jew” subject and Holly’s husband’s studies. Add to that, the girls’ Grandfather, who was a big influence and part of their early lives, used to tell the girls “stories” or fables. The girls looked forward to his stories that were a memorable part of their lives. Marjorie realizes the strange connection of the stories to her studies.

Feldman did her research in Jewish folklore and mysticism. I found it entertaining and interesting. I’m not sure that’s everyone’s cup of tea. Some of the stories were a bit difficult to comprehend (for me) as they are written in biblical language. Big shout out to GR friend Melissa for stearing to this one.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

EDIT 09/09/14: I was in Barnes & Noble tonight, and I picked up this book when I saw it on the shelf to see what that climactic missing page actually said. Turns out the page is intentionally left blank, not missing. The author just didn't write the climax. Did I miss some artistic reason behind leaving out this seemingly crucial scene?

I'm pretty much at a loss with this one. Possible spoilers follow.

For starters, the description is misleading. If you read it carefully, which I obviously didn't, it's exactly what it sounds like: a woman discovers one of her dead grandfather's notebooks, reads it, tries to find the rest, and reads them. That is, technically, what the description says. But I read the word "odyssey" and assumed this would be something akin to a Jewish Da Vinci Code, but that's not what this is. It's more like the most boring aspects of A Discovery of Witches...you know, like how Diana is constantly reading and sitting in libraries, describing every bit of what her papers say and how the light looks coming in through the library windows. That's how a lot of The Angel of Losses is written: dryly. And that "odyssey" in the description? Marjorie doesn't go anywhere, except back and forth between New York City and New Jersey. I make that trip myself about once a month, so next time I'll make sure to clarify that I'm not "taking the train" but rather "embarking on an odyssey."

There's really no mystery here, either. Actually, I don't even really know what the plot is, partly because the story is constantly interrupted by Marjorie reading over-long stories that are included in their entirety at random times. Seriously, they sometimes number 20+ pages of plot-halting folk tales. These stories are important to the characters and to what little plot I could wrap my head around, so they either should have been edited down or compiled into one section, perhaps after Marjorie finally assembles all four stories near the book's end. This would help by clearing up what the hell these random stories mean, in their own right, and what they mean for Marjorie and her sister.

Speaking of, the relationship between Marjorie and Holly/Chava was the only thing about this book I latched onto. Their rift felt honest, and their careful tiptoeing around each other felt real in a way no other character relationships did. For example, Marjorie seems to fall in love with Simon overnight, despite his coming across almost stalkerish in his first appearance (again, much like Matthew in A Discovery of Witches). Her view of Nathan similarly changes at the drop of a hat. The book is only 280 pages long, about a quarter of which or more is comprised of folktales, so expanding these relationships wouldn't have weighed it down or anything.

Further, I just didn't understand a lot of the folkloric characters, I guess. I still don't know what The Angel of Losses really is, or if it is a good or bad thing. I don't really know if Eli was crazy, or if Marjorie was crazy, or both. I don't know who the old man Marjorie constantly encounter is. I don't really get the whole Sabbath River thing, or who or what the White Rebbe is supposed to be/represent. I guess I wasn't paying very close attention, but nothing about this made me want to focus. It also probably doesn't help that the ARC I read was missing two pages, one of which was from the book's climactic moment at Marjorie's encounter with The Angel of Losses, about 10 pages from the end. But even with that missing page... I just didn't care. I wasn't mad or frustrated or annoyed. I just kept reading, as if missing out on such an important scene, a scene the entire book had been building toward, didn't matter. Because for me, it didn't.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, so I'm going out on a limb here. The Angel of Losses may have been my favorite book that I read all summer. It's full of everything that I want out of a novel: folklore, magic, obscure religious history, and a heroine who is anything but perfect. The plot centers around a pair of sisters, one who converts to Orthodox Judaism and the other who is a blinders-on grad student dedicated to her thesis. The author does a wonderful job setting up the characters and the tension within the family. They have a grandfather who loved to tell them stories about the White Magician, tales loaded with religious symbolism and cultural detail but also full of magic. However, the grandfather is not Jewish and is dismayed about the arrival of a very specific, ultra-devout sect that moves in down the street. Marjorie is the grad student whose thesis is all about the Wandering Jew, a figure in Jewish folklore who is fated to wander the earth looking for the lost tribes of Israel. Through her research and her relationship with the grandfather, Marjorie becomes engaged in an ancient mystery. Who was the Wandering Jew? Were the miracles ascribed to him real? What does her grandfather have to do with him? Is the White Magician a front for a more real and terrifying mystery? Marjorie's sister Holly gets married to an ultra-orthodox man named Nathan who is also interested in ancient folklore and what it means for world history. But Marjorie and Nathan are at odds while trying to discover the same secrets. That's basically the whole plot. Marjorie is the narrator so the reader gets everything from her point of view. She is hardly the perfect person, which makes her character all the more believable. She reads people wrong, makes assumptions about things that end up being wrong, and butting her head where it shouldn't be. This just makes her all the more sympathetic and wonderful protagonist. The story is filled with such wonder that leaves you at times weeping and at times very angry. Everything that Marjorie discovers is found out the hard way. Some revelations are painful and bring up memories of loved ones, sometimes flying in the face of her impressions of them. That's what I like about this book. All of the pain that the characters feel is believable. And in some cases entirely avoidable! Life is that way sometimes. One makes a choice and then the chips fall where they may. Sometimes you do things that have no explanation and end up affecting people in ways that you could never comprehend. The grandfather had left behind notebooks of stories full of magical events and people, but could they be real? If they are real, where do you draw the line between what is known and what is unknown? I loved this book. ANd you will too if you just give it a chance.

[Melissa Crytzer Fry]

I find myself unable to rate this book – not because I didn’t like it. Quite the contrary: this novel is dripping with incredible sensory detail that I paused, often, to re-read, to roll over my tongue, and to simply sense. It is enmeshed with fairytale and religious fables, and they’re swirled together into a wonderful story within a story (or, in this case, multiple stories within a story).

My inability to rate the book is, I think, a result of the lack of focus I had while reading (I had visitors for three months, loads of additional distractions, was reading on the treadmill on my iPad, etc.) I believe, however, this is the kind of book that demands complete attention. Because of my lack thereof, I’m not sure I made the connections I should have made. I felt confused, many times, by the sheer amount of research material presented, the various religious references and characters … and I also wondered if my lack of understanding of Judaism hampered my understanding of the book.

So I will say this with complete conviction… If you adore literary fiction, this book is a must. If you are Jewish, you will find the folktales within incredibly fascinating and perhaps familiar. If you enjoy myth and fairytale, this is a book worthy of your consideration.

I hope to be able to come back to this book at some point in the future when I have the dedicated focus necessary to appreciate the wonder that it is. I truly was moved by the incredible descriptions that touched on all of the senses; it was pure artwork and beauty, and of a such a stellar literary quality.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
I loved a lot about this book: the tale of two sisters; the grandfather’s secret life; the cultural differences introduced by Holly/Chava’s marriage. I loved the folk tales the grandfather told the girls, and the stories Majorie uncovered in her own studies.

But instead of being 4 or 5 ⭐️, I have to mark this down a bit because the author loses the thread at one point, and you can’t tell which Angel is which, and the timeline of events gets muddled.

Still, I enjoyed spending time with the book, & would read more by this author.

[Roger Brunyate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories of the White Rebbe

I recently wrote in the context of another review (Helen Oyeyemi's Boy, Snow, Bird ) that I disliked fantasy. That thought came back to mock me as I found how much I was enjoying this, a book that begins with a fairy tale told by an old man to his granddaughters, and is punctuated by fantastical tales throughout. I was not just tolerating the fantasy, I was reveling in it. The difference was not in the writing, since both Oyeyemi and Feldman make words obey their bidding, but in the subjects. Oyeyemi writes (inter alia) about race, a subject that plays out very much in the real world; Feldman is writing about religion, which can impact the real world, certainly, but also occupies an entirely different plane. All religions that I know rely on stories; the Judaeo-Christian Bible is a vast compendium of them. Whether you regard them as metaphor or revealed truth, these stories have entered the bloodstream of their respective religious communities. And when you leave the Bible behind to enter the world of the Apocrypha, Kabbalah, and folk legend, the pursuit of stories becomes almost an end in itself.

Or so it is for Marjorie Burke, a Barnard PhD candidate in Comparative Literature. Though born and raised a Gentile, she is researching the many legends of the Wandering Jew, the man who cannot die but is condemned to roam to earth forever. She is a little rootless herself, since she feels unwelcome in her family home, which has been taken over by her younger sister Holly and her husband Nathan. Nathan is a member of the (fictional) Berukhim sect, and Holly has converted to orthodox Judaism and changed her name to Chava in order to marry him. What upsets Marjorie most is that, in order to make a nursery for their soon-expected baby, Nathan has gutted the study of her beloved grandfather, and may even have destroyed some of his books. But Marjorie gets hold of one of a series of notebooks that the old man was writing in before he died. She finds it to be a story about a miracle-working "wonder Rebbe" in the eighteenth century, every bit as fascinating as the secular stories of the "White Magician" that her Grandfather used to tell, but clearly with wider-reaching implications.

The publishers compare Feldman's novel to The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht, but this is only true in that both books are interspersed with folk tales. They also mention Nicole Kraus' The History of Love, which brings the storytelling into a Jewish context, but it would have been even more appropriate to cite Dara Horn's The World to Come, and even The Flame Alphabet by Ben Marcus. The latter is an altogether more fantastical book than the others, but I thought of it because both Marcus and Feldman make use of the Jewish mystical belief that there is a 23rd letter to the Hebrew alphabet that will be revealed only upon the arrival of the Messiah, and that will complete the holy name of God. By the time this is mentioned in Feldman's novel, we have gone way beyond folk tales to eschatological issues that might almost come from a Jewish version of the Book of Revelation.

For three-quarters of the novel at least, I was in five-star territory, being totally drawn in to the stories of the White Rebbe and at least somewhat invested in Marjorie's life in the real world: her research, a budding romance, and the increasing complications of her relationship with her sister. But inevitably there comes the point where the two worlds of fantasy and reality must intertwine. And indeed it becomes increasingly clear that the tale of the White Rebbe is by no means over, and that its outcome can affect Marjorie and all she holds dear. But there it lost me. Not because I was not prepared to accept that real problems might have fantasy-based solutions (an allowance I was less prepared to make with Oyeyemi), but because the fantasy itself became so complex, and I got confused between the various angels and revenants in their various guises. I am still not sure exactly what happened in the last thirty pages. But up to that point, it was a terrific ride.

[G · Rating 2 out of 5]

[ARC review]

The Angel of Losses hints at a lot but doesn't quite deliver. We're promised the regret of a close relationship between sisters falling apart, but the book starts with said relationship already in tatters and only occasionally bothers to remind us that, actually, these people liked each other once. Even in the flashbacks - which presumably are there for exactly that purpose, to show us what's been ruptured - Marjorie seems cold and her sister distant. Which could have been an interesting sibling dynamic in its own right, but means the book's Grand Sacrifice doesn't have the power it should.

Same thing with the grandfather, who was presented as a beloved figure suddenly and unsettlingly transformed by his anger (or fear) into something else. Only, the reader never sees him as anyone but the aggressive, mercurial old man until the last couple of his stories, which I did love - but by that point the book's almost done. The full strangeness of his actions is lost on us for too long.

The problem, I think, is Feldman's disjointed, confused timeline and out-of-nowhere revelations. The narrator reflects on events we don't learn about until later as if they're common-knowledge - which could very well be on purpose, I know. Marjorie basically calls herself an unreliable narrator, wondering what else but "ambiguities, abruptness, and dark transitions, can be expected from the historian who is, at the same time, the sufferer of those disasters?"

It's a style that I've loved in other works but isn't pulled off very well here - not confusing so much as a waste. The emotional buildup that we need to sympathize with Marjorie oftentimes isn't there, and the revelations aren't enlightening, just five chapters too late.

By far the most interesting sections were her grandfather's stories. Those fables were full of Jewish lore and at times grimly haunting. Actually, I think I would have loved a book that had more of Grandfather's ghosts and less of Marjorie judging (until she suddenly stops judging for no clear reason). Connecting the logical and the mystical at the end through legends that may or may not be real was a good idea, but, again, the book set up Marjorie's ultimate decisions with less than half the power they could have had.

Needs more Grandfather and less Marjorie thinking about Grandfather, basically. More on the grudges and lost angels and curses hidden in gifts. Heck, more on Nathan and Chava, who felt woefully underdeveloped.

(Also, people are comparing it to Alif the Unseen - Alif the Unseen-lite, maybe. The good thing is The Angel of Losses is short, so you have time to blaze through it and then move on to the far better story in Alif.)

[Megan Baxter · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a moment, about halfway through this book, where the narrator's new boyfriend warns her that he's okay with heavy, but he doesn't do melodrama. And I was like, "amen, brother!" Except that that's the problem - this book is so melodramatic, so shrill, so full of absolutely inexplicable reactions that had me scratching my head in disbelief that I can't possibly recommend it. In fact, I could barely finish it.

Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.

In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this. A story about Jewish folklore, mystics, secrets and sacrifices. At the center of it all, it's about family and love and acceptance. When Majorie's grandfather, Eli dies she stumbles across a notebook he's written. A notebook that leads her on a journey to discover who she truly is. Fans of The Discovery of Witches would enjoy this. It's a different premise but I found some similarities and I enjoyed both!

[Curtis Edmonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a tomato garden that is currently wilted from the August heat. (Really, I do, and stay with me, because this is going places.) The tomato plants started producing nice red plum tomatoes in June, but all the ripe tomatoes were rotten and black at one end at first. This is called "blossom-end rot" and is caused by not having enough calcium in the soil. It wasn't hard to fix, and I enjoyed a bountiful harvest.

There's only one thing wrong with THE ANGEL OF LOSSES, and it is, in its own way, similar to blossom-end rot, in that only one part of the story is really affected by it. The problem is that the rot is not in the blossom end of the story but at its center.

(One hates to compare someone else's book to a rotten tomato, and as I will argue, it isn't exactly fair to do so here, but that's my impression and I am sticking to it.)

THE ANGEL OF LOSSES is narrated by a young woman named Marjorie, who is a doctoral student in feminist literary theory. I have to stop myself here, because I don't actually know anyone who is a doctoral student in feminist literary theory. Furthermore, I don't want to insult anyone who happens to be a doctoral student in feminist literary theory. I especially double-don't want to insult the author if she's reading this, working on the assumption that she might be a doctoral student in feminist literary theory, or at least that she might know some people who are. Having said that, and taking into account that I don't want to insult anyone, there are not a lot of books out there which have heroines (or heroes) that are doctoral students in feminist literary theory, and there is a reason for that.

I have two complaints about Marjorie here. First is that she's kind of a drip. Again, I hope no one takes this personally. It is PERFECTLY OKAY to be kind of a drip. If you are kind of a drip, I support you fully in your lifestyle choice. But, again, people who are kind of a drip are not the sort of people you build your typical novel around. Marjorie is not interesting in sort of an aggressive way, like she's super intensely serious about not being interesting, and has made kind of a study of it. You walk away from the book not knowing one thing about her personally--how she takes her coffee, what kind of band she likes, whether she likes Springsteen better than Bon Jovi. She studies the story of the Wandering Jew and has a perfectly bloodless relationship with a librarian with similar literary tastes, and that's about it.

The second complaint is that Marjorie is not exactly at the center of the conflicts in this book. The main issue that she has that needs to be resolved is that she doesn't much like her brother-in-law.

(deleted approximately thirty thousand words complaining about my ex-brother-in-law)

Where was I? Okay. It turns out that Marjorie's sister Holly has married someone who's in a sect of Orthodox Judaism, and that Holly has converted and changed her name and developed a lot of what sounds like might be interesting kosher Indian food recipes, and Marjorie has a bit of a problem with this, and that's one of the central conflicts that drives the book. And not to repeat myself any more than I have repeated myself, but there's a reason there aren't a whole lot of brother-in-law versus sister-in-law conflicts in the history of literature, and that is because such conflicts tend towards the trivial and commonplace.

And those are two words that I hate to use about this book, because THE ANGEL OF LOSSES is not trivial and it is not commonplace. The writing is gorgeous, and in the sections where Stephanie Feldman dumps Marjorie and proceeds to tell an actual story, the novel bestirs itself and comes alive. It would be wrong to say that THE ANGEL OF LOSSES is really four short stories within a modern frame, but not too far wrong. The short pieces tell the story (or, rather, one story) of the Wandering Jew, who was a "wonder rabbi" in medieval Lithuania who performs miracles and searches for the Ten Lost Tribes. That story, laden with Jewish mysticism, intersects with the life of Marjorie's grandfather, and to an almost equal extent with her young nephew.

I can't quite recommend THE ANGEL OF LOSSES. It mixes the extraordinary with the commonplace and the otherworldly with the mundane, but doesn't always do so effectively. It is certainly well-researched and thought out, and anyone with any interest at all in the history and mysticism of Judaism should snap it up immediately. The writing is first-rate, and if you're looking more for literary merit than storytelling, THE ANGEL OF LOSSES will no doubt delight you.

For me, though, it all comes down to character and storytelling, and THE ANGEL OF LOSSES just never finds its wings and soars in those respects.

[Jessica McReaderpants · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hummmmmm what to say, you know that book Sophies World- where they try and jam the entire history of philosophy in a book then try to make you believe "it's a story, this is fun!" when really it it like trying to read War and Peace after taking an Ambian? This book was kind of like that for me. It was all "Look at me! I am a book! I am about Jewish folklore!" what is not to like about it? Well it felt like the author was trying to force feed me a quick history ALL about any and every mention of the White Rebbe from the beginning of time onward. The storyline was weak in my opinion and the characters insipid. I don't know maybe it caught me at a bad non appreciative of Jewish folklore time. I am pretty PMS-ey. It wasn't terrible but it was very predictable.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marjorie's grandfather had secrets. Everyone has secrets, of course, but none quite like Grandpa Eli. Even after Eli's death, those secrets could get people killed. This introduction makes Stephanie Feldman's The Angel of Losses sound like a thriller. The novel is something quite different. Grandpa Eli's secrets have to do with a centuries-old family curse, Jewish mysticism, and an angel. Feldman's novel is an extraordinary book that had me reading well past my bedtime...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.

[Clinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminiscent of Alif the Unseen with less action but more exploration of mysticism - Jewish in this case. Recommended.

[♥♥Mari♥♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Reviewer's Note: The publisher provided me with a paperback ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.)

Although the Kabbalah has fascinated me for some time now, I am not at all familiar with Jewish myths and legends. I was therefore delighted to discover that this novel not only touches upon Kabbalistic ideas, but also interweaves them with the tales of the miracle-working White Rebbe. This character is not entirely fictitious; the stories of his exploits are most likely based on traditional Jewish legends, especially of the Hasidim, which is a mystical Jewish sect. The result, for me, was sheer fascination, and I found it extremely hard to put the book down!

There's a very poignant thread running through this novel, because, also interwoven in its pages of beautiful, lyrical prose are the eternal themes of the Jewish soul -- the longing for the Messiah, the heartbreak of exile, as well as a deep reverence for the Divine, whose true name is ineffable.

There are references to the Holocaust, too, which Eli Burke, Marjorie's beloved grandfather, incorporated into his stories of The White Rebbe, which he told his two granddaughters when they were children. After Eli's death, Marjorie comes into possession of one of his notebooks, and embarks on a quest to find out more about her grandfather's mysterious past. As she does, she gradually discovers his painful experiences during this terrible time in history. She had not even known he was Jewish.

Ironically, she is also struggling to understand her estranged sister, Holly, who has converted to Orthodox Judaism.

Adding to the irony is the fact that Marjorie's search is fueled not only by her need to find out more about Eli, but also by the connection between The White Rebbe and the legends of The Wandering Jew. This just happens to be the topic of her doctoral dissertation in comparative literature.

Like the great exponents of magic realism -- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jorge Luis Borges, and Isabel Allende -- Feldman combines fantasy elements with everyday, mundane reality. Marjorie's frequently surreal quest is juxtaposed with the conflicts within her own family. The novel seamlessly moves back and forth between these two worlds, the mythical and the real, even mixing them up at times. I love the myths and legends Feldman writes about, the spiritual knowledge behind them, the way she transports the reader into a mysterious, mystical world that is larger than real life.

Another aspect of the book I really enjoyed was the story-within-a-story format, as there were several chapters dedicated to the stories from Eli's notebooks. These were absolutely beautiful, and I didn't find them at all distracting to the main narrative; they actually fit in quite well.

It's highly ironic that Marjorie, the non-believer, is the sister who goes through all of these fantastical experiences. Meanwhile, her sister, Holly, has re-discovered her Jewish roots -- without knowing she was doing so -- through her romance with, and subsequent marriage to, Nathan, a man who belongs to a mystical Jewish group, and who subsequently becomes interested in the legends of The White Rebbe.

Holly's easy journey into her roots is contrasted with Marjorie's, and this is an interesting parallel. Holly accepts her new life with little reflection or understanding of its deeper, mystical traditions. She is totally focused on more immediate, real-life concerns. Marjorie instead finds it quite a challenge to remain connected to the real world, in the face of all of her mystical experiences.

I especially love Marjorie and Eli Burke, who emerges as a mythical character in his own right. There's an unbreakable bond between the two of them, even after his death, that is very touching and strong. They are both storytellers, dwellers in myths themselves. In Marjorie, Eli has found his literary and spiritual heir, thus bypassing his own son, Marjorie's father, in a nontraditional succession that echoes the increasing role of women as spiritual leaders in world religions.

Filled with wondrous events and painful family dynamics, full of longing, hope, and sorrow, The Angel of Losses is a literary jewel, a debut novel that astonishes and fascinates. It's a brilliant work that deserves the highest literary accolades. It's also a work that should be read several times, in order to completely savor all of its intricate, totally mesmerizing beauty. I know I will return to it in the very near future, to immerse myself again in these stories that not only fire my imagination, but also, touch my soul.


For more of my reviews, please visit my blog, A NIGHT’S DREAM OF BOOKS.

http://anightsdreamofbooks.blogspot.com

[Bèbè ✦ RANT ✦ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Filled with family traditions, culture, and Jewish folklore, The Angel of Losses is definitely a book you do not want to miss. Jewish myths and legends are very unfamiliar to me so reading about the White Rebbe and get to know the actual rituals was really interesting.

In the book we are introduced to Marjorie, a young woman who lost her grandfather but always been close with him ever since she was little. Ghost stories always fascinated her so when she gets ahold of her grandfather's notebooks filled with stories that tie closely to Jewish myths, she loses herself in the research to try and find the truth. Meanwhile, she is getting further away from her family, especially her sister. Will this bring them together? Can her dreams really mean something? Marjorie goes through centuries worth of history to find the answers.

The Angel of Losses was definitely not what I expected. This type of subject is usually too slow for me but I actually really enjoyed it. The element of a man who appears through the centuries and an old man showing up to Marjorie, intrigued me. Cultural genre is very new for me but this book has definitely made me want to look into it more.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a truly stunning book! Feldman manages to weave a complex plot that encompasses family drama, Jewish mysticism and folklore, and mystery, but it never felt like any of the various plot threads were given short shrift--everything tied together breathtakingly well. Since I'm not Jewish, I was initially concerned that I might be confused with all of the unfamiliar history and folklore, but luckily the narrator begins the book with the same level of knowledge as I had (enough to get by living in NYC, but nothing too in-depth), and I was able to learn along with her as the tale unfolded. The "book within a book" aspect was especially well done, and the stories from the notebooks belonging to Marjorie's grandfather really shine. One particular chapter actually had me in tears, and I am not someone who cries easily! Feldman does have high expectations for her readers--the plot is nonlinear and straddles many genres (magical realism, detective, family, history, fantasy, etc), but I appreciate the challenge. This book is a perfect candidate for rereading!

[Victoria (RedsCat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Angel of Losses by Stephanie Feldman, is a beautifully told tale of two sisters, separated by faith. Marjorie is pursuing her PhD and missing her beloved grandfather. Heidi, an artist, has converted to Orthodox Judaism.

When Marjorie discovers journals written by their grandfather before his death, everything they thought they knew about their lives changes.

This is a story within a story; their grandfathers tales alternating with the girls' quest to find answers. Wonderful, folksy, and mysterious.

[Kim Gausepohl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I would have enjoyed this more if I had previous knowledge of Jewish folklore. I actually had to re-read the first half of the book when I realized around p 125 that I had no idea what was going on. Overall, the book fell flat for me. The contemporary characters seemed one dimensional while the fairy tale characters were the most interesting and realistic. A disappointment.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and the themes of Jewish mysticism, family, love, betrayal, and hope. It was a little difficult keeping all of the mystics names straight but the writing was strong was enough to get you through to the important characters and themes of the book.

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent this entire book trying to figure out if it was general fiction or fantasy. I'm still not sure. The only thing I am sure of is that I went to bed way too late one night because I could not for the life of me put the book down.

[Rene Denfeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely lovely, astonishing novel. Stephanie Feldman writes with grace and compassion. I adored the melding of myth and reality, family secrets and exposures, and the examination of sister relationships.

[Wendy Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Very well written, and kept me thoroughly absorbed. Really interesting characters and a plot line that i have not seen before! Well done!

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a huge fiction reader but I loved tHis book. The language alone is worth the read. I was reminded of how impoverished my life is without storytellers..

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

I spent most of the time feeling very confused about what was going on in this book. Maybe this was because I grew up in the Christian religious tradition and don't know diddly-squat about Jewish mysticism and folklore? Not sure that should be a pre-req for reading and comprehending a work of fiction, though. Until about page 240 or so, I was still unclear if some of the historical/mythical characters were different people. Also I had very little sympathy for pretty much everyone in the book until like page 260 - so many problems could have been avoided just by... talking honestly with one another. I get that the mystery of god is a whole thing, but at a certain point secrecy becomes counterproductive. Mostly it seemed like a bunch of family members lying or being close-mouthed to one another, and this pattern of behavior went back generations. Interesting story once I reached the end of the novel and could view it all in retrospect, but enormously frustrating for the bulk of the book.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story

Stephanie Feldman did a beautiful job of creating a world that merges scholarship and contemporary life, recent and ancient history, religion and secularism, and the power of families.

[Melinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will start by saying the jacket summary is quite misleading. I found the story to be nothing like the jacket description. The content of the narrative was so different from what I was expecting I was more than disappointed.

The intended audience will be a specific group enjoying philosophical, theological along with Jewish folktales. The writing was sound and I enjoyed the Jewish folklore.

My problem was how all of this failed to marry. I’m not a huge fan of theology/philosophy so this was off putting for me. Once again had the summary spelled this aspect out I would have passed on reading. The bones of a good story exist, you need to be an archeologist and dig for it….I pass.

I will not rate this book simply because I don’t want to discourage others from indulging or harm the author. I only wish the content was clearly spelled out so the unenthusiastic fans of the quasi philosophy genre could decline.

I do hope the publishers take note and/or the author. If the intention of the book is as is – PLEASE rewrite the jacket summary. If the book needs a decent dose of editing so all the material merges nicely by all means do so. As is, it’s a tad bit all over the place and isn’t my cup of joe.

Explore the book for yourself and determine if it’s for you or not, just proceed with caution.

[Book Riot Community]

It’s weird to say, but I read my favorite book of 2014 in 2013. Just about a year ago, I picked The Angel of Losses up, somewhat randomly, and I’ve been singing its praises ever since. A beautiful accomplishment, Feldman’s debut novel has it all, as I cataloged in an Inbox/Outbox last December: “Jewish folklore. Family secrets. Hidden identities. Hidden notebooks. Bitter estrangements. The past–pasts–roaring up to meet the present.” It’s excellently written, cleverly plotted, generously felt, and just plain fun. So give yourself a great Hanukkah present this year and get a copy of The Angel of Losses to read, love, and share. -Derek Attig

From Best Books of 2014: http://bookriot.com/2014/12/02/riot-r...

[Amy Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this read unabashedly.
I also love Jewish folklore, references to Judaic texts, Jewish mysticism, and Yiddish culture.

For me, the very best part was the last line. Don’t read it first. I implore you. I’m a read-the-end-first reader. For this one, I recommend waiting. It’s that kind of ending. Knowing where you are headed won’t help, and the sizzle is better fresh.

I have thought about that last bit for weeks since closing the cover.

Will you like this book? Who’s to say?
Maybe don’t try to hold onto it to hard while you read. And either way, maybe reach out to your grandparents.

[Teresa Kander · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book did not appeal to me as much as the above synopsis. The folktales interwoven into the story were fascinating, but the story of the present day family was more than just a little too far out in left field for me. I didn't care about any of the characters, with the exception of Holly's newborn son, Eli. The rest of them had so many annoying, irritating personality traits that I couldn't find any reason to get involved in their story.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feldman is one of the few authors who has ever written a work of magical realism grounded in Judaism and Jewish mythology that I actually enjoyed. Most of them entirely fail to meet my standards (which, given that I identify as Orthodox and have a staunchly rationalist bend, may not entirely be the author's fault), but this one was deftly handled and smart and just good.