NPR

Learning What's Sacred In Screwball 'Holy Lands'

Very little actually is sacred — at least to begin with — in Amanda Sthers' lively new novel about a Jewish pig farmer in Israel, his fractious family, and their voluminous correspondence.
Source: Amr Alfiky

Pithy, loaded letters and emails aimed at their vulnerable targets fly more like missiles than missives in Amanda Sthers' lively epistolary novel about a combative, estranged family scattered between Israel, France, New York, and Los Angeles. At the beginning of Holy Lands, it seems as if nothing is sacrosanct to this pugnacious foursome. During the course of this short novel, that changes.

Sthers is a prolific French novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. her tenth novel, which she has

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min readCrime & Violence
Nigeria Has Detained A Journalist Who Reported On Corruption In A Widening Crackdown
Investigative journalist Daniel Ojukwu has been arrested by police and held without charge for over a week, drawing criticism from advocacy groups over a worsening climate for independent journalism.
NPR3 min read
Tornadoes Tear Through The Southeastern U.S. As Storms Leave 3 Dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could march through parts of the South early Thursday, after deadly storms a day earlier spawned damaging tornadoes and massive hail.
NPR2 min read
2 Skiers Killed After Being Caught In Utah Avalanche, Sheriff Says
Two skiers were killed and one was rescued after they were buried in an avalanche in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City that occurred after several days of spring snowstorms, authorities said.

Related Books & Audiobooks