The Tree of Life, Book One: On the Brink of the Precipice, 1939On the Brink of the Precipice, the first volume of the trilogy The Tree of Life, describes the lives of the novel’s ten protagonists in the Lodz Ghetto before the outbreak of World War II. Chava Rosenfarb, herself a survivor of the Lodz Ghetto, Auschwitz, and Bergen-Belsen, draws on her own history to create realistic characters who struggle daily to retain a sense of humanity and dignity despite the physical and psychological effects of ghetto life. Although the novel depicts horrendous experiences, the light of faith in the human spirit shines through this novel’s every page. Winner of the 1972 J. J. Segal Prize and the 1979 Manger Prize for Yiddish Literature |
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Adam arms asked Baluty began Bella Blimele Blumka bread Bundist Bunim cellar Chaim Rumkowski cholent coat dark daughter door dream dress droshky ears Eibushitz Esther everything eyes face father feel feet felt fingers forehead friends front German girl glass grabbed groschen Guttman hair hand head heard heart Hebr Hermann Göring Herr von Strafer Hersh Itche Mayer Jewish Jews jumped Junia knew Lechaim lips listen lived Lodz looked Luna Park Matilda Mazur Mietek mind Miriam Miss Diamand Mother mouth moved never night pulled pushed Rachel Samuel seemed Shalom Sheyne Pessele shook shoulder sitting smile someone Stars of David stood stopped street talk teachers tears tell thing thought took turned Uncle voice waiting walked wall Wanda whispered window words yeshiva Yiddish young Zionism zlotys Zuckerman