Author: Jessamyn Hope

“There are so many things to love about Jessamyn Hope’s debut novel, Safekeeping. There’s the beautiful writing, of course. There’s also the story itself, which is both unique and fascinating, and, though it spans generations, never feels too far removed to be relatable. There are the unreliable characters, who constantly make you seesaw between rooting for them and hating them, thus making them feel like full, real people you could be passing on the street; the well-defined history of Jews and their never-ending plight; the beautiful setting, a kibbutz in Israel, a place where everyone is given second chances, all while living under a microscope of public judgment — a place that is old and complicated and beautiful, much like the gold brooch at the heart of the story.

But beyond all that, what makes Safekeeping truly special is what goes on beneath the story: the dual themes of connection and misconnection, history and forgetting, technology and agelessness. These are the things that stay with you after you’ve finished reading the last page. A book this special comes along only rarely, and I’m happy to have discovered it. It’s full of surprises, wisdom, and beauty. There’s nothing cliché or redundant about it.”

Read Zhanna Slor’s full interview with Jessamyn Hope online.