The Dawning of the Day: A Jerusalem Tale by Haim Sabato - Review

The Dawning of the Day: A Jerusalem Tale

by Haim Sabato

Paperback, 183 pgs.

Toby Press August 2008

An inspiring tale of a simple Jewish man who lives his faith through everything he does in the normal routines of his day in the Sephardic community of Jerusalem. Even while Ezra Siman Tov cleans and presses prayer shawls in a laundry he feels close to the faith of those wear them, usually young grooms whose brides have given them as the traditional wedding gift. As the secular world slowly erodes the traditional ways of his old neighborhood, he continues to love God and Torah. He is known to everyone as a storyteller and is surrounded in life by holy and sometimes eccentric characters who are accustomed to stopping him and saying "Ezra, tell us a story!"

Viewed as a pious man by others, Ezra does not feel that he is because he carries a secret sin and is burdened with the heart-breaking loss of a daughter he does not speak of. Ultimately this is a love story, the love between a man and his God who comforts him through all things. A story for everyone, religious or not, for who is not fed by the things of the spirit? The writing is beautiful. The story is poignant, tender, perfect. Five stars out of five. Highly recommended.

Haim Sabato is an Israeli author who writes in Hebrew. His previous two novels, Aleppo Tales and Adjusting Sights have also been translated into English.

Thank you to Toby Press and LibraryThing for providing a review copy.

If you have read or reviewed any books by this author please leave comments or links. I would love to read them.

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