The story opens with an old king, one who has had his claws and fangs pulled. Indeed, he is not a particularly impressive specimen. Through the course of one night, his memory flashes back to younger days...
To read the review in full, click here:
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
A lovely review of Rise to Power (audiobook) appears on Dab of Darkness
Just discovered a lovely review of Rise to Power (the audiobook edition, narrated by David George.) Here is how it starts:
The story opens with an old king, one who has had his claws and fangs pulled. Indeed, he is not a particularly impressive specimen. Through the course of one night, his memory flashes back to younger days...
To read the review in full, click here:
The story opens with an old king, one who has had his claws and fangs pulled. Indeed, he is not a particularly impressive specimen. Through the course of one night, his memory flashes back to younger days...
To read the review in full, click here:
Monday, April 7, 2014
A flashback to Passovers past
Here is a timely excerpt from Apart From Love, a flashback to Passovers past:
"If I were to focus strictly on my parents, ignore the entire background of this place, and let the clutter and the smell of it just fall away, this could take me back to a different time, a time in my childhood, when our kitchen table was set for the Passover meal. What comes back to me first is the tinkle, as my father finished blessing the wine, and clinked his glass against hers, against mine.
I remember: the table was draped, all the way down to the floor, with mom’s best, rarely used tablecloth, made of the smoothest ivory satin you ever touched. Dad sat at the head of the table, mom to his right, I opposite her.
All day long she had been cooking, which infused the air with a wonderful aroma. In it you could detect a sharp whiff of horseradish and of gefilte fish and sweet brisket and red cabbage and roasted potatoes, all of which made my stomach growl. It went on growling until he finished reading the long, archaic text in the Hagadda, which meant little to me, except a vague notion of the utter futility of patience.
I remember: my mother ladled the clear, golden chicken soup and set it here, steaming before my eyes, with three matzo balls floating inside, which was her way of giving. “It’s hot,” she said. “Make sure to blow on it first.” Yes, the smell of her cooking was good, but then, the taste! Just wait till you took the first bite—"
★ Love reading? Treat yourself to a family saga ★
"A literary symphony complete with a cast of likeable, bruised characters"
Happy Passover!
Here are but a handful of the reviews:
The miracle of Uvi Poznansky's writing is her uncanny ability to return to old stories and make them brilliantly fresh. At times startling, as times awe-inspiring, and at al times fine reading, this is a welcome addition to the growing library of one our more important writers. -Grady Harp, Hall of Fame Reviewer
★ What a treat to have the story of David presented in such an intellectually stimulating manner. -Christoph Fischer, Top 500 reviewer
★ A tale of madmen and kings, youth and old age, prison cells and freedom's ring. It's drawn from Biblical history, enjoyed through the eyes of modernity, and it vividly recreates character and place. -Sheila Deeth, Top 1000 Reviewer
★ A tale of madmen and kings, youth and old age, prison cells and freedom's ring. It's drawn from Biblical history, enjoyed through the eyes of modernity, and it vividly recreates character and place. -Sheila Deeth, Top 1000 Reviewer
★ Written for a smart and perceptive reader, who is not afraid to let her imagination fly. -Oleg Medvedkov, Top 500 reviewer
★ Dark, intense, entertaining, thought-provoking and emotional, these stories each hold their own brand of magnetisim that lasts long after the last word is read... A wealth of depth in few words. -Dii, Top 1000 Reviewer
★ Love historical fiction? Treat yourself to a gift ★
Historical Fiction with a Modern Twist...
Saturday, April 5, 2014
I blinked again and at once, things went back to the way things should be—except that the girl was still there
Now I could see the girl sitting there, opposite him. She raised her glass and clinked it against his, then cuddled up to him, like, to whisper something up close, in his ear.
I don’t hardly know if there was something odd with the air, which stirred past me with cloud after cloud of salty mist; or the sheet of glass over there, which must have had some flaws all over it; or the mirror image of sunset, which buckled out of shape, in and out of the flaws; or else, was it the film of tears, which formed in my eyes; or the sorrow, which came in like a tide, to wash over me—but in a blink, everything blurred.
Everything started swimming in front of me: like, the shadow of her little black dress, the flash of her gold earring, even the blond streaks in her hair. All of them things, which lived on the other side of the layers—the layer of mist, and of glass, and flaws, tears, wash—they all rippled a bit and then, settled into a haze.
I blinked again and at once, things went back to the way things should be—except that the girl was still there, by his side, where I should have been, had I not left him.
My charcoal drawing, untitled
★ Love reading? Treat yourself to a family saga ★
“Liberally salted with buttery smooth prose & fascinating insights”
Historical, Biblical fiction at it's best
What a lovely new review by Linda Whitehead Humbert for A Favorite Son. It means a lot to me, because this review comes from the perspective of someone who has studied the holy scriptures.
Historical, Biblical fiction at it's best, April 5, 2014
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Favorite Son (Kindle Edition)
A work of historical fiction based on the story of Esau (Esav) and Jacob (Yankle) in the Old Testament, Ms. Poznansky gives a new twist to an old tale. She portrays Esav as someone easily duped, and Yankle as the trickster - the cunning man that the Bible calls him in the beginning. The story, of course is about the birthright, something to be had, to be envied, in a family during those long-ago times. With each piece of historical fiction, Uvi gives me as a reader, and one who has studied the Holy Scriptures, a feast to chew slowly, to savor, to bring to the light and see something that's often put to the side and glossed over. As other books that I have reviewed of this author's, I would wholeheartedly recommend this book with no reservations. If you are easily offended by the light the author casts on these Biblical heroes, then don't read this book. If you recognize that these heroes from the Bible are flawed, sinful people as we all are, then by all means, read!!!Friday, April 4, 2014
Clever retelling of ancient story
What a lovely review for A Favorite Son:
A Favorite Son is a very clever retelling of the story of Jacob and Esau. The underlying story holds very strongly to the conflict of Jacob and Esau, the twin sons of Isaac and Rebecca as described in the book of Genesis. However, just as reading the Torah is a lot about reading between the lines and interpreting what is said, and not said, so, too, does A Favorite Son provide the "inside story" from the viewpoint of all the major characters in this tale. The story is set in modern times, with modern conveniences, such as the stiletto heels Rivkah wears, and the reference to a Rolls-Royce when she demands a quadruple-humped camel from Isaac. This is a tongue-in-cheek satire that also makes the reader think about the motivations of the characters in the story in the book of Genesis. The story of Jacob and Esau in Genesis is well - known: Jacob steals Esau's birthright by convincing the dying Isaac that he is Esau, Isaac's favorite, with help from his conniving mother Rebecca, whose favorite is Jacob. In this amusing re-telling, Jacob is Yankel (a Yiddish-ized version of Jacob), and he is a snide, lazy, whining, well, schmuck, but his parents and brother are no better. While the book is very funny, the underlying story of family dysfunction and the consequences of envy, favoritism, and deceit, as told in Genesis, is made even more obvious in this re-creation. I have read other attempts to re-tell Bible tales and have been sorely disappointed; and so approached this tale with a great deal of hesitation. I was pleasantly surprised to find this so well done. I would like to read more by this author.
Clever retelling of ancient story, April 4, 2014
By
TucsonSusan (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Favorite Son (Kindle Edition)
A Favorite Son is a very clever retelling of the story of Jacob and Esau. The underlying story holds very strongly to the conflict of Jacob and Esau, the twin sons of Isaac and Rebecca as described in the book of Genesis. However, just as reading the Torah is a lot about reading between the lines and interpreting what is said, and not said, so, too, does A Favorite Son provide the "inside story" from the viewpoint of all the major characters in this tale. The story is set in modern times, with modern conveniences, such as the stiletto heels Rivkah wears, and the reference to a Rolls-Royce when she demands a quadruple-humped camel from Isaac. This is a tongue-in-cheek satire that also makes the reader think about the motivations of the characters in the story in the book of Genesis. The story of Jacob and Esau in Genesis is well - known: Jacob steals Esau's birthright by convincing the dying Isaac that he is Esau, Isaac's favorite, with help from his conniving mother Rebecca, whose favorite is Jacob. In this amusing re-telling, Jacob is Yankel (a Yiddish-ized version of Jacob), and he is a snide, lazy, whining, well, schmuck, but his parents and brother are no better. While the book is very funny, the underlying story of family dysfunction and the consequences of envy, favoritism, and deceit, as told in Genesis, is made even more obvious in this re-creation. I have read other attempts to re-tell Bible tales and have been sorely disappointed; and so approached this tale with a great deal of hesitation. I was pleasantly surprised to find this so well done. I would like to read more by this author.Tuesday, April 1, 2014
I strut out of the cave in his direction
He turns to me with a sly look. To my surprise, his smile—even with those sharp fangs—is quite endearing.
“Job’s wife, I presume? Hallelujah! I have been expecting you for quite a long while,” says Satan. His voice is sweet. He must have sung in a choir in his youth, because in some ways he sounds as pious as my husband. “Shame, shame, shame on you,” he wags his finger. “You sure made me wait, didn’t you...”
And without allowing time for an answer, he brings a magnifying glass to his bloodshot eye. Enlarged, his pupil is clearly horizontal and slit-shaped.
Which makes me feel quite at home with him, because so are the pupils of the goats in the herds we used to own.
Meanwhile, Satan unfolds a piece of paper and runs his finger through some names listed there. Then, with a gleam of satisfaction he marks a checkbox there, right in the middle of the crinkled page. At once, a whiff of smoke whirls in the air.
Satan blows off a few specks of charred paper, folds the thing and tucks it into his breast pocket, somewhere in his wool. Cashmere, I ask myself? Really? In this heat?
Back home, when I would count my gold coins, this was something I craved with a passion... It would keep me warm during the long winter nights...
Then, without even bothering to look at me, Satan says, “I swear, madam, you look lovely tonight.”
For a moment I am grateful that my husband is among the living. Or so I think. Nowadays, influenced by the elders, he regards swearing as a mortal sin, as bad as cursing. He even plugs his ears, for no better reason than to avoid hearing it. But if you ask me, I swear: without a bit of blasphemy, language would utterly dull, and fit for nothing but endless prayer. Sigh.
Strangely, Satan does not frighten me that much anymore. And so, swaying on my hip bones, I strut out of the cave in his direction. I feel an odd urge to fondle his horns. Along the path toward him I make sure to suck in my belly, because in the company of a gentleman, even a corpse is entitled to look her best.
“No—not a corpse,” he corrects me, as if he has just read my mind. “A soul! That is what you are.”
“A damned one, too,” says Leila, cutting in.
And he says, “Aren’t we all.”
And she hisses, “Especially her. She is a nobody. She belongs with the dreamers among us; the losers.”
I figure she does not like me, and she does not appreciate competition. All smiles and giggles, she is batting her eyelashes at him while wiggling her heavy bust and advancing, somehow, in the mud, over her diamond-studded sandals.
Which in a flash, angers him. In spite of a visible effort to remain calm his face turns red, and he shakes his fist at her. I spot a dark feather wagging back and forth behind his neck, nearly tickling him, which is the first clue to what happens next: wings sprout from his back, and they spread out—monstrously massive—with an furious, ear-splitting flutter.
“Go,” he spurts out, no longer in control of himself. “Not now! I am busy here, can’t you see?”
“With her?” says the bitch, utter disbelief ringing in her voice. “Who—what is she to you?”
And he answers, mostly to himself, “First and foremost, she is a case study. An accomplice in my plans, even though she does not recognize it—not yet. When she does, I can use her. Therefore, she is a possible ally. Even one soul can tip the scales, change the balance of power and overturn things, up and down, heaven and hell.”
My charcoal drawing, where the two female figures build up the male figure. Can you discover them?
"The prose is both beautiful and powerful; the author paints with words"
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