Goodreads asked Michael H. Rubin:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Michael H. Rubin The protagonist, itinerant peddler Jake Gold, was very loosely inspired by my great-grandfather, a Russian immigrant who left home at the age of twelve to escape the pogroms and who, when he finally made it to America, started life here as an itinerant peddler.

Jake Gold’s adventures, however, are not those of my great-grandfather. Jake is a purely fictional character. On the other hand, many of scenes and conflicts depicted in the novel are firmly based on actual historical events.

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