A portrait of contemporary New York City through six speakers of little-known and overlooked languages, diving into the history of the most linguistically diverse place ever to have existed on the planet.
Gorgeous ... Perlin never misses the chance to reinforce a key point: The history of New York’s lesser-known languages is also that of the traumas of many speakers ... Language City is a deft refutation of [the parable of Babel's] moral.
Superb ... Mr. Perlin can set a scene with quick, sure strokes ... Wonderfully rich, Language City is in part an introduction to the diverse ways different languages work.
Panoramic, enthralling ... Perlin’s discussion of indigenous languages is stellar ... Perlin also weaves in his own story; his grandfather, who died in 1997, was the last Yiddish speaker in his own extended lineages. He probes the poignancy and complexity of his own feelings, lending a candor and tenderness to his account.
