Edited by I. Goldberg · Illustrated by Herb Kruckman · Kinderbuch, New York, 1957 · Two Volumes
A matched pair of English-language anthologies of Yiddish short fiction for young readers, issued in New York by Kinderbuch. The Magician gathers stories of Jewish life in Eastern Europe at the turn of the twentieth century, most of them by Sholem Aleichem and I. L. Peretz. Its companion, Narrow Escape, follows the immigrant generation to America: the Atlantic crossing, the tenements and sweatshops, and the labour movement, followed by stories of Jewish life under the Nazis and a closing story set in the early years of Israel.
The editor, I. Goldberg, is catalogued as Itche Goldberg (1904 to 2006), the Yiddish writer, educator and publisher who devoted his career to secular Yiddish culture. The translations are chiefly by Benjamin Efron and Max Rosenfeld, and the contributors include Sholem Aleichem, I. L. Peretz, Joseph Opatoshu, Abraham Sutzkever and Moishe Nadir, along with Lola Kaufman's memoir "My Father Sholem Aleichem." The text is reproduced from typescript, with Herb Kruckman's line drawings on the title pages and throughout, and the volumes are bound in Kruckman's illustrated green covers with cloth spines.
The Magician and Other Stories from the Yiddish
Narrow Escape and Other Stories from the Yiddish
The Magician: Very Good. Pages clean. Minor separation of the cloth spine from the text block at the foot of the spine. Toning, light scuffing and a few small stains to the rear cover, with light shelf wear.
Narrow Escape: Very Good. Pages clean. Toning, light scuffing and a few small marks to the rear cover, a few light grey marks to the cream panel of the front cover, and light shelf wear.
Both volumes have a few loose threads at the spine ends.
Free shipping within Canada on this item. Shipped from Toronto, Canada with tracking, and carefully packaged with archival-safe materials. International shipping is calculated at checkout. Combined shipping is available for multiple purchases. Please message before paying.
Book Burrow | Toronto, ON | 100% Positive Feedback | Specializing in Canadian literature, signed editions, and collectible books.