Israeli Authors Discussion Group: Noa Yedlin

Led by BJ members Rabbi Carole Balin and Jennifer Sylvor, the Israeli Authors Discussion Group takes us on a journey of rich and thought-provoking Israeli literature.

This month, we will discuss Noa Yedlin’s Stockholm. The book arises from an outrageous premise: when renowned Israeli economist Avishay dies suddenly, his friends conspire to keep his death a secret for a week in order to keep him in the running for the Nobel Prize. What ensues is, not surprisingly, a dark and madcap comedy full of twists and near-misses. However, together with the comedy, through the machinations and deliberations of Avishay’s circle of close friends, Yedlin provides an insightful and provocative exploration of ego, friendship, and mortality. As Kirkus describes it, Stockholm is “a seriously funny take on death and dying.”