Children of Paper

Steven Greenhalgh is an historian and librarian at the University of
Alberta.

Martha Blum’s second novel explores the lives of the inhabitants of
Suczorno, a Jewish village in turn-of-the-century Ukraine. There is
Shimon, a scroll writer who leaves the confines of his small community
and discovers science and the exhilaration of city life; his sister,
Sarah, who becomes an artist and paints pictures of the Prophet Elijah;
Bimbule, the village idiot, who speaks to bees; Reuwen, who wants to
play the fiddle and study music abroad; and Noah, who survives a
devastating fire that destroys his father’s house. Each chapter
focuses on a single character or group of characters, although the lives
of the people of Suczorno are very much intertwined.

Blum’s characters are unique and wonderfully detailed. We come to
know their hopes, dreams, and passions as vividly as we know their
faults. References to Jewish customs, such as the Passover tradition of
pouring an extra glass of wine for the Prophet Elijah—enrich the
narrative. All in all, Children of Paper is a sumptuous read.