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Golden Country

"In Jennifer Gilmore's gleeful overthrow of the Jewish American novel, the most significant force in her characters' lives isn't guilt, or God, but the gilded temptations of organized crime, and redemption is attained through such unexpected means as a household cleaning solution. As tender as it is irreverent, Golden Country is a glittering debut." -- Susan Choi, author of American Woman

"Sharp and funny, Jennifer Gilmore's debut novel roller-coasters through the first half of the twentieth century, showcasing not only her intelligence, her wit, and her intimate knowledge of Jewish culture but also an uncommon depth and humanity." -- Adam Langer, author of Crossing California and The Washington Story

"Golden Country is a brilliant re-creation of mid-twentieth-century New York City and the way it shaped and was shaped by Jews who came to seek their fortunes in a land that turned out to be paved not with gold, but with comedy and tragedy, unexpected success and not always undeserved failure. Like E. L. Doctorow's Ragtime, Golden Country manages to catch the spirit of history through the lives of individuals. Jennifer Gilmore's characters are wonderfully human, and it is exciting to watch their lives change as they move from the slums into the interconnected worlds of school, business, crime, and the theater." -- Alison Lurie, author of Foreign Affairs and Truth and Consequences