Leaves from the Garden of Eden

By Howard Schwartz

Book Overview

In Leaves from the Garden of Eden, Howard Schwartz, a three-time winner of the National Jewish Book Award, has gathered together one hundred of the most astonishing and luminous stories from Jewish folk tradition. Just as Schwartz's award-winning book Tree of Souls collected the essential myths of Jewish tradition, Leaves from the Garden of Eden collects one hundred essential Jewish tales. As imaginative as the Arabian Nights, these stories invoke enchanted worlds, demonic realms, and mystical experiences. The four most popular types of Jewish tales are gathered here--fairy tales, folktales, supernatural tales, and mystical tales--taking readers on heavenly journeys, lifelong quests, and descents to the underworld. There is a dybbuk lurking in a well, a book that comes to life, and a world where Lilith, the Queen of Demons, seduces the unsuspecting. Here too are Jewish versions of many of the best-known tales, including "Cinderella," "Snow White," and "Rapunzel." Schwartz's retelling of one of these stories, "The Finger," inspired Tim Burton's film Corpse Bride.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0199754381
• ISBN13: 9780199754380
• Release Date: September 2010
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 544 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.9" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Great Book for Teaching Children Moral Values

I heard one of the stories from this book when I attended a Rosh Hashanah service. As a Sunday School teacher, I do not believe that religion should seggregate people with different spiritual affiliations. I thought I can read some stories in class and let the children learn about the characters in the Old Testament. It is also great for making the children dramatize the stories esp it involved animals.

a great collection

This is a great collection of Jewsih fairy tales, folk tales and myths. The tales are presented in a manner that preserves their oral, story telling voice. A gem to have handy to renew your connection with or to develop an appreciation for a priceless heritage. Should prove useful to researchers.

Spectacular resource!

As a professional Jewish storyteller, I'm frequently looking for new Jewish tales which strike me as great stories and resonate with me on a deep level. Again and again I have found such stories in Howard Schwartz's wonderful collections. To now have available a "best of" collection, with updated stories reflecting Schwartz's growing relationship with them as a storyteller, is such a wonderful blessing. As always with his works, the stories are very well told, and his selection of tales is replete with enchantment, beauty, and wisdom. I highly recommend this work to anyone interested in Jewish stories!