The Bridesman by Savyon Liebrecht

From one of the most important voices in contemporary Hebrew literature, the gripping story of a reunion between two family members that brings back a long-forgotten past and reveals secrets that will change their lives forever.

Micha, an Israeli expat in Los Angeles working as a ghostwriter, receives an unexpected invitation. Adella, married to his beloved uncle, has bought him a ticket to Israel and booked a boutique hotel, so that he can return home and meet with her.

Years before, Micha was the bridesman at Adella’s wedding. He remembers her as a rebellious young woman, and orphan and an outsider, who was mocked by his close-knit family of Persian Jews. Micha is stunned by the Adella of today–poised, confident, with nothing of the uneasy woman he remembers from the past. When finally Adella reveals the true story of her life, powerful memories resurface in Micha, although nothing can prepare him for the surprise she has in store for him…

The Bridesman presents a beguiling cast of characters, whose stories are interwoven into a gripping and moving tale about family, place, and the unceasing power of the past to reshape our lives and identity.

Savyon Liebrecht was born in Munich in 1948, to Holocaust survivors who immigrated to Israel soon afterwards. She studied philosophy and literature at Tel Aviv University and began her writing career in 1986. She has received several awards for her work, including the Alterman Prize and the Amelia Rosselli Prize, and has been named Israel's Playwright of the Year twice. Her books have been translated into nine languages. She lives in Tel Aviv.
Gilah Kahn-Hoffmannmoved from Montreal to Jerusalem after studying theater, literature, and communications at McGill University. Starting out as a freelance journalist, translator, writer, and editor, she became a feature writer at the Jerusalem Post and, subsequently, editor of the paper's youth magazines. After working for NGOs in East Jerusalem and the developing world, she has recently returned to literary translation. She lives in Jerusalem.