The Incandescent Threads

In "Saved by a Kindly Piano Teacher," Benjamin Zarco and Shelly are the only two members of their family to survive the Holocaust. Benjamin becomes obsessed with studying kabbalah, while Shelly indulges in pleasures of the flesh. The birth of their son brings the ghosts of the past to their doorstep. The book explores the bond between the cousins and the key to their survival.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 512 pages
Publication date: 01 May 2023
Publisher: Parthian Books

FINALIST FOR THE 72ND NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARDS - BOOK CLUB CATEGORY


ONE OF THE SUNDAY TIMES
BEST HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS OF 2022




‘Zimler is an honest, powerful writer




The Guardian




A memorable portrait of the search for meaning in the shadow of the Shoah.




– The Sunday Times




From the acclaimed author of The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon and The Warsaw Anagrams comes an unforgettable, deeply moving ode to solidarity, heroism, and the kind of love capable of overcoming humanity's greatest horror.




Maybe none of us is ever aware of our true significance.




Benjamin Zarco and his cousin Shelly are the only two members of their family to survive the Holocaust.




In the decades since, each man has learned, in his own unique way, to carry the burden of having outlived all the others, while ever wondering why he was spared.




Saved by a kindly piano teacher who hid him as a child, Benjamin suppresses the past entirely and becomes obsessed with studying Kabbalah in search of the Incandescent Threads - nearly invisible fibres that he believes link everything in the universe across space and time.




But his mystical beliefs are tested when the birth of his son brings the ghosts of the past to his doorstep.




Meanwhile, Shelly - devastatingly handsome, charming, and exuberantly bisexual - comes to believe that pleasures of the flesh are his only escape, and takes every opportunity to indulge his desires.




That is, until he begins a relationship with a profoundly traumatised Canadian soldier and artist who helped to liberate Bergen-Belsen - and might just be connected to one of the cousins departed kin.




Across six non-linear mosaic pieces, we move from a Poland decimated by World War II to modern-day New York and Boston, hearing friends and relatives of Benjamin and Shelly tell of the deep influence of the b.




In the aftermath of the Holocaust, Benjamin Zarco and Shelly, the sole survivors of their family, navigate the complexities of their lives. Benjamin, haunted by the guilt of outliving his loved ones, becomes engrossed in the study of Kabbalah, seeking solace in the belief that incandescent threads connect all things across time and space. However, his quest for answers is challenged when his son is born, unleashing the ghosts of the past. Meanwhile, Shelly, grappling with the trauma of the Holocaust, finds solace in the pursuit of physical pleasure, believing it to be his only escape. However, his outlook changes when he forms a relationship with a Canadian soldier and artist who played a role in liberating Bergen-Belsen. The novel spans multiple locations, including Poland, New York, and Boston, as the characters' lives intertwine and their stories unfold. Through their experiences, the novel explores themes of survival, resilience, and the search for meaning in the face of adversity.

Weight: 478g
Dimension: 129 x 199 x 40 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781914595332