Tobin Moffatt’s Reviews > The Books of Jacob > Status Update

‘Her moods changed so frequently that Yente never knew whether her mother, setting her down on her lap, would kiss and hug her or squeeze her shoulders painfully and shake her like a rag doll. So she preferred to just keep out of her way.”

'. . . On the other hand I felt pity for us all . . . Did they know about this? Had someone told her? Did they explain to people in their church that this was how things were going to be? That everything would be reversed, and the servants would become the lords, and the lords the servants? But would this in fact be just and good?'

‘“Whoever hit upon the idea of fermenting cereals for vodka ought to be given a gold medal,” says Labecki, and taking the napkin out from under his chin, he gives the sign to retire to the library, where they will smoke their pipes, according to time-honoured custom.’

“Told by the DEAD,
supplemented by the AUTHOR,
drawing from a range of BOOKS,
and aided by IMAGINATION, the which
being the greatest natural GIFT of any person.
That the WISE might have it for
a record, that my compatriots REFLECT,
lay persons gain some UNDERSTANDING,
AND MELANCHOLY SOULS
OBTAIN SOME SLIGHT ENJOYMENT”

Here goes.