Another Me

July 15, 2016
The bubonic plague brings added misery and death to European Jews.Natan is the 17-year-old son of a Jewish ragman in 14th-century Strasbourg. His family ekes out a precarious living in a city rampant with anti-Semitism. When the bubonic plague races across Europe, the Jews are at even greater risk than usual, accused of poisoning wells and causing the deaths. Natan has fallen in love with Elena, the Christian daughter of his father's business associate--a forbidden love. When he witnesses town hoodlums throwing a dead cat into a well, he is murdered. His soul, now an ibbur, enters the body of Hans, a Christian who works for Elena's father. (An ibbur "occurs when a righteous person's soul takes up residence in another's body.") Natan is now tasked with trying to save the Jews of Strasbourg. He desperately tries to enlist the help of the Ammeister, head of the city council, but to no avail. Elena tries equally hard to understand that her love inhabits the body of a boy she does not like. Wiseman tells her tragic tale alternating the voices of Natan and Elena. It is a heart-rending tale based on actual events, which saw the Jews of the city almost entirely murdered by being burned alive. Readers will need the Kleenex for this one. (author's note, glossary) (Historical fiction. 12-16)

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October 1, 2016

Gr 5-7-A heartbreaking account of a young Jewish man, Natan, who defies death in order to save his people. The Jewish inhabitants of Middle Ages-era Strasbourg face daily persecution, intolerance, and even physical violence. They are forced to pay high prices to ensure a tremulous sense of safety and are segregated from the general population, and their way of life becomes even more difficult as the Black Death falls like a shadow over the land. Natan, in the wrong place at the wrong time, stumbles across an active plot to falsely accuse the local Jews of poisoning the town's water and finds himself the mortal victim of paranoia and hate. While his body lies prone at the feet of his killers, Natan's consciousness miraculously moves to inhabit the body of a young Christian man, and romantic rival, Hans. Granted a second chance, Natan seeks not only to bring justice to his murderers but also to save the Jews of Strasbourg from further plots. While the historical element of the writing is, at times, a bit heavy-handed, the simple narrative and unique story line serve to engage readers. Although this tale centers on heinous acts, the actual violence is glossed over, making the text palatable for more sensitive readers. VERDICT More broadly approachable, if clunkier, than Karen Cushman's Catherine, Called Birdy and with a fast-paced narrative reminiscent of Laurie Halse Anderson's Fever 1793, this offering will engage reluctant readers-even those who are normally averse to historical fiction. Recommended for general purchase.-Rose Garrett, Cliff Valley School, Atlanta, GA

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