The Escape Artist

Judith Katz

Sofia Teitelbaum’s parents want to marry her off to a successful, charming, traveling Jewish businessman. The year is 1913, the place is rural Eastern Europe, and Sofia’s simple, good hearted parents are in fact duped into handing their girl over to a life of prostitution. But Sofie is resourceful and manages to resurrect a life of her own in the New World where she finds work–and love–with a gender-bending magician named Hankus.

From Booklist

Katz’s novel about a Polish Jewish girl in an Argentinian brothel has elements worthy of a made-for-TV movie. The shy Sofia, 13, secretly lusts for her girlfriend but is virtually sold by her poor parents to flashy Tutsik Goldenberg, who promises he will marry her on the ship to the New World. But he has no such intention. Instead, his ‘aunt’ instructs Sofia in the ways of the flesh, preparing her to cater to the lusts of Jewish immigrants fleeing pogroms and World War I. Tutsik’s sister, Perle, is the madam who puts the finishing touches on Sofia’s carnal education. Later, Tutsik spots the talented juggler and acrobat Hankus, and, anticipating success as the boy’s manager, sees him as the means to get out from under his sister’s thumb. But Hankus, who eventually meets Sofia, is really a young woman, and . . . This well-paced melodrama should find readers beyond the lesbian fiction audience at which it is primarily aimed. Whitney Scott –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Details

ISBN	1563410842
Genre	Fiction; Jewish Interest
Copyright Date	1997
Publication Date	Mar-97
Publisher	Firebrand Books
Format	Trade Paperback
No. of Pages	288
Language	English
Rating	NotRated
Paper Type	Electronic Format Available
BookID	3595

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The Escape Artist by Judith Katz