A novel about a magazine editor who becomes embroiled in the mystery surrounding a murder in the fictional Jewish Islamic Dönme community of Mt. Izmir, Ohio.
em> tackles difficult questions of faith and fanaticism with humor and nuance. The disparate narrative strands that comprise the novel don’t quite come together at the end, but they nonetheless make for a strange, enjoyable ride.
It's an ambitious project, but he's clearly done his homework and has the self-assurance to execute the task he's set for himself with both substance and style ... In this ambitious and successful novel, Daniel Torday deeply explores life in a heterodox religious sect in rural Ohio set against the backdrop of a mysterious murder of one of its number.
Those who are following the investigation of the murder of Fritzman’s son and its connection to the various groups fighting tooth and nail for control of legalized weed in Ohio may find themselves floundering during extended descriptions of drug-induced experiences. But through it all, Torday’s redoubtable novelistic chops produce a steady stream of strong dialogue and sharply drawn scenes. The disparate elements of this ambitious mashup may make it difficult for it to find its ideal readers.
