My Father's Paradise, by Ariel Sabar. Published 2008 by Algonquin Books. Nonfiction.
It's hard to know how to begin a review of a book like My Father's Paradise, because a book like this doesn't come around very often. It's very special.
My Father's Paradise is the
story of two men, Yona and Ariel Sabar, father and son. It's the story
of Yona's family, among the last generation of Jews to live in the
mountains of Kurdistan and speak Aramaic as a native language. It's the
story of Yona's life in Iraq, and his journey to and life in Israel and
the United States. It's also the story of his son's journey to bridge
and close the generational and cultural divides separating him from his
father, and ultimately from his own heritage.
Ariel Sabar is frank about how, growing up, he wanted to be the
consummate California guy and was embarrassed by his nerdy, misfit dad,
who drove a cheap car and dressed funny, not like the other dads. Like
many kids, he needed a little maturity to appreciate his family, and in
order to develop the curiosity leading him to take time away from his
career as a journalist and immerse himself in his family's story. He
does so beautifully.
The first few chapters of My Father's Paradise,
in which he speculates on the story of his grandmother Miryam's
girlhood and married life, read like accomplished historical fiction,
rich in detail and human feeling. Later chapters are less speculative
but retain all the charm of the early chapters. As he goes along, Sabar
mixes in social and political history to help situate the reader and
explain why Yona Sabar and his family had to leave everything behind in
Iraq and start again in Israel, where being a Middle Eastern Jew with
funny clothes and a language no one else spoke were hurdles to overcome.
Eventually Yona moves to the United States, enrolls at Yale and his
life takes off- he gets married and begins a wildly successful career
teaching, researching and writing about the language, folk tales and
culture of Kurdistani Jews. His diverse accomplishments include writing a
Neo-Aramaic dictionary and providing Aramaic dialogue for "The
X-Files."
Sabar's writing is wonderful throughout. Fluid and rich, his writing is
sometimes serious and dense with facts, sometimes deeply emotional, and
sometimes even humorous, but it's always punchy and full of verve. He's
refreshingly honest about his behavior and the unflattering light in
which he saw his father for many years, and the ways in which maturity
has mellowed him and changed his perspective. He divides the book into
quick little chapters, which I always believe is very helpful in a
history book for laypeople. This structure allows the reader to stop and
start and take the book in bite-size portions- no long, interminable
chapters to wade through, no unscalable mountains of names and dates. He
creates vivid characters- real, complicated people the reader can feel
for and understand.
As much a biography and a story of a family as a history, My Father's Paradise is
also a story about change- changing communities, changing cultures and
changing relationships. It's a story about taking something you believe
is a liability- in this case, belonging to an isolated ethnic group
speaking a near-dead language- and turning into the very thing that
saves you and helps you make a life. It's a book about nostalgia and the
surprises that await when you try to go home again. It's about a father
and a son, and how the two may be more alike than different, more alike
than either might think at first.
Everybody should read My Father's Paradise
even if you think you have no interest in Kurdistani Jews. It's a book
about a very specific culture that's filled with universal themes that
anyone can appreciate. And it's so well-crafted that it's an absolute
pleasure to read- a really beautiful, special book. I hope everyone
reads it.
Rating: BUY
FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review from the publisher.
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