The Third Solitude: A Memoir Against History

by Benjamin Libman

An intimate memoir in essays seeking familial history and personal memory against the backdrop of the lost world of Montreal Jewry.

What is the past? How can we let it speak on its own terms, without forcing it into the categories of history? In The Third Solitude, Benjamin Libman gathers and weaves the threads of multiple pasts — of his Montreal Jewish community, of his family, and of himself — in search of an answer to these questions. Across a series of interconnected memories, Libman leads us through the many fragments that make a life: the kaleidoscopic recollections of childhood, the search for meaning and resolution in the face of unspeakable tragedy, the attempt to reconstruct the past from the rubble of its blasted forms that scatter across the present.

The Third Solitude is a paean to the art of losing — and to the visions of the past that persist in the present. Out of it rises, like a phantom, an image of the world of yesterday.

208 pages, Paperback

Published June 10, 2025

Reviews

[Mike Broderick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley for the advance copy of The Third Solitude. This book will speak to many I think. I would not say that I did not like it, but I definitely did not love it.
I like the idea of the three solitudes, his history as a Jewish individual with a family history of Holocaust and his life as a Jewish Montrealer. This brings to question, where does he fit, which gets him considering the Third Solitude.

I liked reading about his family history. This brought forth quite a Jewish history, that included the Holocaust. He fast forwards to the issues for Israel today and recognizes that we cannot ignore how they got there.
In doing this, we see the near impossible task (nothing is impossible) of figuring out the conflict
He talks about appropriation of land
"never intended for the Palestinians to be displaced." How can anyone even say that was possible. He indicates that in 1948, 750 000 Palestinians were removed. He talks about the goal of assimilation....wow. We can make many connections to this with Indigenous People around the world, particularly in Canada

There is an Email from a friend: Page 111 that highlights the attacks by Israel.......saying
"No matter what your opinion, the attacks are heinous, unforgivable and unforgettable"

The end of the email goes on to say that an answer is not easy.
Palestinians are a reality and noone has a solution
He goes on to discuss some of the things the Israelis are doing

Then it moved to New France??
Started to veer towards how oppressed French Canadians were and are??? You lose me on the oppression of French Canadians.

He believes that the situation in Montreal is actually the gap between the rich and poor.
While he talks about the two solitudes being Jewish, French Canadian. The two solitudes is the difference between cultural and economic

Moving forward, I found the material to be interesting, and informative. However, presented in a way that bored me for large portions of it.

[David K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an original and fantastic memoir. I think for most it will either resonate at the level of familiarity (people from Canada or Montreal, or Jewish people in America), but in my opinion where this book shines is at its uppermost register, where it deals with deep questions about the way we write history. The histories of countries and peoples, but also of individuals. The book opens with a challenge: that we stop beginning with our historical categories, and only thereafter trying to shoehorn everything that makes up "the past" into them. Instead, Libman suggests that we let the past precede our historical categories on its way into our consciousness.

I'm not sure that he really succeeds in resisting the temptations of normal history-writing. But then I don't think he would say that he does. The book is a kind of open failure, but one that teaches you an immense amount as you read through it.

Some chapters are more central to the book than others (in particular I thought that Chapter 5 spent a bit too long on the history of anglophones and francophones in Canada). But they do all come together. And though I appreciate how deftly the author handles both complex ideas and mundane detail, sometimes the swings from one to the other can be a bit much. Something to smooth out over the course of his career, maybe.

It feels very much like a first book — but what a first book at that! I'll be looking forward to what he does next.

[Makeda Semret · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book weaves much personal history with historical and political reflection. It is beautifully, beautifully narrated. The author uses imagery (photos) to drive the point we see the past through the lens of the present, in a really striking way. Some parts of the book are more analytical (almost academic), particularly those exploring nostalgia. He makes us think of nostalgia not as an emotional quality or attribute but as a cultural phenomenon and another way of looking at history, again deftly weaving in personal anecdotes. Most striking is his willingness to grapple openly with the question of the creation of Israel, as a space of ongoing moral and historical reckoning, and as a space for the "great jewish debate". Honestly the book is a rare combo: incredibly thoughtful, courageous, and lyrical. I finished it with the sense that I’m a witness to the start of a remarkable literary voice - one day, I’ll be able to say I read Ben Libman's debut book (autographed, I admit), met and heard him speak at his first ever book launch. And future readers will go back to this book to find the earliest traces of his brilliance.

[Julia · Rating 1 out of 5]

On one hand you are willing to hear the other side which is good but on the other you lapped up all the misinformation?
Here’s what you missed: the Jews made the land livable and then the ones that weren’t already there bought the land from the land owners all the way in the Ottoman Empire. The Arabs couldn’t have that so they called for a(nother) g*nocide on the Jews. The ones who didn’t want to do the dirty work fled while others stayed to slaughter the Jews. (Edit: forgot to mention there are others who didn’t not want any fight and many of these became Israeli Arabs).
Very veeeery bare bones but this is the core situation you completely missed.
And they tell everyone (media) there were over 700k displaced when I found out the real number was much lower…not that I have much sympathy considering the reason. I DO strongly sympathize with women and children whose husbands/fathers joined the fight and included them in the consequences)
Btw hundreds of thousands of Jews were displaced from Arab countries before that.
Try reading The Arab and the Jew by David Shipler. Covers up to 2014 only but good for illuminating that this is a war with nuance, not a villain and victim story

[Enid Wray]

Thanks to the publisher and Ededweiss for granting me access to an early digital review copy of this one.

Sadly it expired on me before I got more than approx 50% of the way through this one.

While there were some interesting bits, this title just really didn't capture my attention - hence the ARC expired on me.

DNF

[PGren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brave, well-considered, compassionate work. I appreciated the bibliography of research for further understanding. I encourage everyone across the opinion spectrum to read this book. Better for all - bring back real discussion!

[Theodore Gumbril · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brave book that questions the beliefs about Zionism that the author grew up with. The third solitude of the title is the Jews of Montreal, who are between the English and French solitudes.

[Beth Din · Rating 1 out of 5]

Traitor

[Giannina Mosimann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibley written and super interessting