As a matter of fact I never read this book but the film caled "Left luggage" was based on that book so please all of you who read this book enjoi whatching this film.

The Shovel and the Loom was originally published in Holland as "Twee Koffers Vol", which means: two loaded suitcases. Actually, the best translation could have been: 'Left Luggage'. This is also the title of the film of the book. The film, starring a.o. Isabella Rossellini and Maximilian Schell and Topol as 'Apfelschnitt' has been directed by Jeroen Krabbe, the Dutch actor/painter and will be released in the U.S. next spring. The film is a breathtaking adaptation of the novel.

Don't read The Shovel and the Loom until you have read Nightfather. Author hits a nerve to all the children of the Holocaust survivors. The social and religious questions we asked during our youth are answered on the pages in a real moving story. There is no known English background of this author but she again illustrates the voice of my generation.

As I read this book, I experienced an unusually strange feeling. I could almost hear the voice of the author reading her tales of survival to me. I wanted to cry out:"Read them again." She is such a skilled author and manages to write startling stories with utter restraint. Carl Friedman shows deep affection and respect for her characters.

"The Gray Lover" consists of three short stories that deal with Jewish traditions of mourning, reverence for learning and dangers of fanaticism. The title story takes the readers back to the 19th century, and we become voyeurs to the life in a small shtetl. The rabbi decrees that someone in the village must look after Chaya; he is an elderly widower, very poor and sick. This tale embodies the essence of the stories of Isaac B. Singer and Sholom Aleichem. However, the ending is pure O.Henry.

The second story centers on a highly knowledgeable group of Holocaust survivors and their offspring. They live in Holland, and this is the author's homeland. One couple's son changes from a highly lovable little boy into a thoroughly despicable teen-aged religious fanatic. The parent's friends compare his evolvement to Gregor Samsa's change in "Metamorphosis". Miriam is the story's narrator. Her own parents observed shiva for her, when she decided to become a journalist. Judaism and Christianity share the basic ten commandments, but for Jews alone, there are many more strictures. Even Jewish skeptics gain strength by observing many of the additional laws.

In the third story:"Bette" we learn how two grown children share the burden of their mother's dying days. This woman developed her appreciation of ordinary activities as a result of her imprisonment in Auschwitz. One son does not have the courage to participate in his mother's death.

The book touches lightly on pogroms and the Holocaust. One of the great wonders of the last century was the strong will-to-live of the survivors. The two modern stories in this collection place Carl Friedman in the same league with the best of modern Jewish writers

I highly recommend this book to those seeking an introduction to communication research methods. This book is creative and well organized. Concepts are explicated with "real studies" and the concepts' definitions are clearly conveyed. The numerous examples highlight the breadth and depth of research in the field of communication studies while helping the reader to answer the "so what" questions about research methods. I enjoy using this book with my undergraduate research methods classes and my students speak favorably about their experience using it.

i just read this book as an assignment for my school. it was easy to read, and i learned so much stuff that i had never knew before! the hardships, pain, suffering so many people has to go through. although, i felt that i was missing something in the book. it seemed too easy to read. like there was some depth in it that i had not explored. becuase as i was reading it, i felt as it something was not there. like maybe i'm missing hte point. i don't know. so if you read the book, please email me and explain!!!

After reading a book about what people went through in the camps, this book really opened my eyes to how people who go through something that dramatic feel and act when they are home out of the public's eyes. I think everyone should really read this book. It affects you for a long time.

I have just finished the book, it's still in my mind and I presume it will continue to be there for a long time. It's one of the best books I have ever read. From the first page, you are allowed to look into the souls of all characters, and you immediately start to understand them, to recognize part of your own feelings and movements in them. Whether it is father, mother or one of the three children...