Okay, it's official now: Michael Chabon is my current favorite author. The Yiddish Policemen's Union takes place in an alternate history, one in which the Jewish refugees from Europe at the end of World War II have been relocated to the Alaskan territory of Sitka. It's nearing the end of their 60-year temporary claim on the land and once again they find themselves a people soon to be without a home...or are they? Although the events take place in an alternate present, the characters are right out of 1940's film noir. Hard-boiled, wise-cracking detective Meyer Landsman lives in a delapidated fleabag hotel, drinks himself into a stupor at the local dives, and eats mostly junk food if he remembers to eat at all. When one of his druggie neighbors is found murdered execution style, something about the killing just doesn't seem right. He and his half-Indian, half-Jew partner are assigned to quickly solve not only this case, but every other unsolved case in their files as well before district land reverts to native ownership! Oh, and did I mention that his ex-wife is also his new supervisor sent to oversee the territorial transition? Lots of deadpan humor and colorful characters throughout make this one of the most fun reads I have enjoyed in a while. For additional enjoyment, see if you can borrow the audio version from the library to listen to while you read the printed edition. It makes the personalities of the characters and quirks of the Yiddish language really come alive. Peter Riegert narrated on the copy I listened to and did a masterful job with all the voices. It's well worth the extra hassle of shuffling CDs to hear them. For another good read by Chabon, check out The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. It is set in New York during the 1930s, during the golden age of comic books. This rather large Pulitzer-Prize winning novel is about two cousins who create a character named "The Escapist" who helps people get out of trouble. Look for the movie to come out in 2009.
Note: although Chabon does have a couple of children's novels to his credit, both of these were written for adults.
