Alice Hoffman

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On a secluded waterfront estate on the North Shore of Long Island, a matriarch named Esther rules over her clan. But in spite of her sharp tongue and manipulative ways, she cannot quite keep control over her family. Her son, Phillip, routinely tries to drown himself each summer; her granddaughter dreams of escape. Esther has hired Cohen, a Russian landscaper, to watch over the family as well as the grounds. But Cohen has been watching Esther – and his love for her is growing wild enough to uproot them all.

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Praise

“… a stunning and hypnotic novel that interweaves past and present with piercing images and unfailing energy.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Awesome and funny…. Hoffman is operating in Kafka’s realm, in the territory of I.B. Singer, and of Tolstoy’s folk tales…. She has tapped some timeless quality of human experience.”
—Newsday

“A beautiful and healing book. It casts the spell of all great fairy tales.”
—Chicago Sun-Times