A review by iggy63
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

4.0

It is hard for me to imagine that anyone who appreciates good fiction can dislike this novel, although there are plenty of negative reviews. Brimming with creativity, Chabon takes the basic template of a noir detective novel but places it in alternate reality, where Jews have populated an area of Alaska post WWII. The story deals with exile, murder, family, love, divorce, religion, substance abuse, chess, oh, and a possible Messiah. The characters are richly developed, the prose is wonderfully written, and the dialogue is simply fantastic. My advice is to begin with the Yiddish glossary at the end of the book, then read at least the first 40-50 pages before stopping to get into it. The rest will be delicious.