Cherished Illusions

by Sarah Stern and Sarah Stern

This first novel from Sarah Stern weaves startling facts about ancient hatreds directed toward the Jewish people with a rich, detailed narrative that readers will find engrossing. Through her supple... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0892216123
• ISBN13: 9780892216123
• Release Date: April 2005
• Publisher: Balfour Books
• Length: 189 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.6" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

Time and Forgiveness

The real subject of this fine first novel is forgiveness. When should we forgive, and whom should we forgive? The juxtaposition in this novel, set in late-20th century suburban America, of a daughter of Holocaust survivors and a daughter of a German physicist poses this question directly. Stern does an excellent job of building suspense and delivering an emotional denouement.

Most recommended

This book starts with a simple story from daily life and develops into a captivating a novel of suspense. Within 180 pages the author has squeezed two parallel human stories that educate the reader about the thoughts and feelings of two contrasting second generations: on the one hand the offspring of a Nazi officer and on the other hand the daughter of Jewish survivors from the Holocaust. The author skillfully builds a detective story from the crossing paths of these two parallel lives within the setting of educational institutions. The book is easy to read and follow with prose that flows. I could not leave the book until I finished it! The book is most recommended for classes teaching about the Holocaust. The human story is good for any age from teenagers to adults.