Jacob Glatstein

Yankev Glatshteyn

Written in the form of a suspense novel, Emil & Karl draws readers into the dilemma faced by two young boys--one Jewish, the other not--when they suddenly find themselves without homes or families in Vienna on the eve of World War II. A taut, gripping page-turner, it offers a picture of life during the period and the moral challenges faced under Nazism--and a prescient glimpse of the early days of the Holocaust. Written in Yiddish, it is here translated into English for the first time.

Emil and Karl

In Vienna, Austria, in 1940, two nine-year-old boys, one Jewish and one Aryan, are classmates and best friends when events of the Nazi occupation draw them even closer together as they fight to survive and escape together.

A Novel

Simone van der Vlugt

When I read back through my diaries or listen to Robin's stories, I come across completely unknown events, as if another person lived that time in my place. And still, a recollection can suddenly knife its way through my mind, a spark that lights up the grey matter of my memory. If you could go back, what would you say to your younger self? Would you reach out and hug her? Sabine was fifteen when Isabel disappeared - isolated at school and tormented by her former friend. What if she'd seen something back then, nine years ago, the day of Isabel's disappearance? What if she'd blocked it out almost entirely? What if her memory was returning to her? And what if it was dangerous? This riveting and disturbing psychological thriller will appeal to fans of Nicci French and Ruth Rendell. Simone van der Vlugt draws characters brilliantly, and builds tension with the touch of a master as the novel draws to its unexpected and terrifying conclusion.

The Reunion

Written in the form of a suspense novel, Emil and Karl draws readers into the dilemma faced by two young boys in Vienna--one Jewish, the other not--when they suddenly find themselves without homes or families on the eve of World War II. This unique work, written in 1938, was one of the first books for young readers describing the early days of what came to be known as the Holocaust. Published before the war and the full revelations of the Third Reich's persecution of Jews and other civilians, the book offers a fascinating look at life during this period and the moral challenges people faced under Nazism. It is also a taut, gripping, page-turner of the first order. Originally written in Yiddish, Emil and Karl is one of the most accomplished works of children's literature in this language, and the only book for young readers by Yankev Glatshteyn, a major American Yiddish poet, novelist, and essayist.

Jeffrey Shandler

Set in Vienna shortly after the Nazi occupation of 1938, Emil and Karl explores the friendship of two young boys-Karl (a Christian, with Socialist parents) and Emil (a Jew). The boys are inseparable friends whose fathers have been killed, and who have only each other after both their mothers are dragged away by the authorities. Yankev Glatshteyn's novel reflects the climate of fear he encountered on a visit to Europe in 1934. His depiction of how the two young boys survive, and the stories of those who aid them in their plight, adds new depth and insight into our understanding of an oft-depicted time. Emil and Karl is a wrenching story laced with humiliation, horror, love and incredible courage. Initially published in Yiddish, and first published in English in 2006, Emil and Karl has been beautifully translated by Jeffrey Shandler, who has also written an elucidating Introduction.

Yankev Glatshteyn

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