The Magic We Do Here

by Lawrence Rudner

It begins with a miracle. In 1923, in a small town outside Warsaw, a Polish innkeeper with five daughters at last has a son. Strangely, Chaim Turkow is blond and blue-eyed, a Jew with Aryan features. As the child grows, the entire town learns of his genius, for Chaim's mind is insatiable, his memory flawless. But after a mysterious accident in a steam bath, the boy changes. His ways are odd, he rarely speaks, and he cares only for his sketching.

Chaim Turkow is sixteen when the Nazis bring their awful whirlwind to Poland. His parents send him away, hoping his looks will save him. The boy finds work with a wealthy Pole; he lives in a pigsty; as a final protection, he feigns mute idiocy. But though "the beautiful fool" has no voice, his vision remains clear, and the horror he sees drives him toward madness. Ultimately, it is his passion for memory, for bearing witness, that saves Chaim and revives his faith in the human spirit.

Lawrence Rudner's story recalls a world consumed by evil. Yet The Magic We Do Here is written in the timeless language of folktales; it shimmers with warmth, humor, and great wisdom. This daring, deeply affecting novel introduces an astonishing new talent.

212 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1988

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some time now I have been against the idea of reading novels based upon the holocaust. I have read many historical memoirs and there are so many more. Each story is different in certain ways as the personalities and backgrounds of individual people are different. What could I gain from reading "fiction"? and yet, time has worn down my resolve. But perhaps it is something else. There is much to gain from the reading of this "novel". And the feelings that are engendered by that reading including heartbreak but also including joy and wonder are not at all fictional. The sad fact is that the author, Lawrence S Rudner wrote only two books and passed away from a brain tumor at the age of 48 in 1995. He was a Fullbright fellow in Krakow in 1986-87 and a professor of English at North Carolina State. He traveled to Poland several times. May his memory be a blessing. This is a fine work.