In 'The Ministry of Special Cases,' Nathan Englander weaves a poignant tale set in Buenos Aires during Argentina's Dirty War. The story follows Kaddish and Lillian, a Jewish couple navigating the complexities of a repressive regime after their son mysteriously disappears. As they grapple with fear and desperation, Kaddish is drawn into the enigmatic government ministry responsible for managing cases like their own. The book skillfully blends dark humor and heartbreak, exploring themes of identity, faith, and the moral dilemmas faced under authoritarian rule. With each twist and turn, readers are left questioning the boundaries of love, loyalty, and the cost of survival.
By Nathan Englander
Published: 2008
"In the face of unimaginable loss, the human spirit clings to the smallest glimmers of hope, revealing the resilience that breathes life into despair."
From its unforgettable opening scene in the darkness of a forgotten cemetery in Buenos Aires, The Ministry of Special Cases casts a powerful spell. In the heart of Argentina's Dirty War, Kaddish Poznan struggles with a son who won't accept him; strives for a wife who forever saves him; and spends his nights protecting the good name of a community that denies his existence--and denies a checkered history that only Kaddish holds dear. When the nightmare of the disappeared children brings the Poznan family to its knees, they are thrust into the unyielding corridors of the Ministry of Special Cases, the refuge of last resort. Nathan Englander's first novel is a timeless story of fathers and sons. In a world turned upside down, where the past and the future, the nature of truth itself, all take shape according to a corrupt government's whims, one man--one spectacularly hopeless man--fights to overcome his history and his name, and, if for only once in his life, to put things right. Here again are all the marvelous qualities for which Englander's first book was immediately beloved: his exuberant wit and invention, his cosmic sense of the absurd, his genius for balancing joyfulness and despair. Through the devastation of a single family, Englander captures, indelibly, the grief of a nation. The Ministry of Special Cases, like Englander's stories before it, is a celebration of our humanity, in all its weakness, and--despite that--hope.
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“In the face of unimaginable loss, the human spirit clings to the smallest glimmers of hope, revealing the resilience that breathes life into despair.”
The Ministry of Special Cases
By Nathan Englander
Discover a world of knowledge through our extensive collection of book summaries.
Nathan Englander is an acclaimed American author known for his poignant and thought-provoking storytelling, often exploring themes of identity, faith, and the complexities of human experience. His notable works include 'For the Relief of Unbearable Urges', a collection of short stories that tackle the struggles of Jewish characters in contemporary settings, and 'The Ministry of Special Cases', a novel that delves into Argentina's Dirty War. Englander's writing is characterized by its blend of humor and gravity, as well as its deep empathy for his characters. He has received several prestigious awards, including the PEN/Malamud Award and the Judeo-Christian Award for Literature.
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