Stories allow readers to escape into new worlds, and connect with existing ones. And with short stories, authors face the challenge of building those connections in far fewer words. Even so, they successfully grab readers hearts and minds and leave them wanting more. Displaced Persons by Joan Leegant is a profound collection of short stories that explore what home and family means to those with complicated histories of forced migration to different parts of the world, and spiritual disconnect from their ancestors.
Book
The first half of the collection is set in Israel, while the second half sends readers to the United States. In one story, a film maker and army vet struggles to find a show-worthy story to tell about Jewish life in Tel Aviv. In another, a doctoral candidate visiting Tel Aviv teaches English to African Refugees and learns about their journeys. On the American side, a Jewish teenager is told that he is gifted, while witnessing his brother’s slow decline into mental illness. And in another, an elderly man insists on educating his step-grandson on the unsavory side his Jewish ancestry.
Review
Whether in the East or the West, whether traveling involuntarily or by their own free will, all the characters share a common thread. They are all seeking a place to call home, a definition of what home is, and the personal growth needed to get there. Whether the displacement is physical or spiritual, Leegant’s writing style takes readers through the heartbreak and triumph found in these stories.
My favorite stories out of the Displaced Persons:
- Beautiful Souls
- Displaced Persons
- Wonder Women
- Remittances
- The Innocent
- The Book of Splendor
- Roots
- After
Joan Leegant joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast to talk about how her personal lineage inspired these stories, and reflects on her experiences as a published writer. Keep an ear out for the interview and pick up a copy of Displaced Persons, available now.
