
1999 Shortlist
The Puttermesser Papers
ABOUT
THE BOOK
Ruth Puttermesser, yearning for a life of the mind (her idol is George Eliot), finds herself mired in the lowest circles of city bureaucracy. Her love life is hopeless. Her fantasies are more influential than reality – she takes Hebrew lessons from an uncle who died before she was born; she makes a golem out of the earth of her houseplants. Still, she turns out to be the best mayor New York City ever elected. Soon enough, though, paradise gained becomes paradise lost, and the impact of getting exactly what you want and then losing it plays itself out in dramatic and surprising fashion. Cynthia Ozick has won many awards and prizes for her writing, including the American Academy of Arts. She lives near New York City.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Date published
27/05/1997
Country
United States
Original Language
English
Publisher
Alfred A. Knopf
Nominating Library