The mysteries of our parents will always remain out of reach.
Mark Sarvas’s second novel recently won an American Book Award and a Jewish Fiction Award for its achingly honest portrayal of an actor with the Americanized name of Matt Santos coming to grips with his lost heritage and emotionally distant father. The catalyst, an art history mystery of significant monetary value, takes him from Los Angeles to Budapest in search of the painting’s provenance and his family’s roots. Aiding him on this quest are two love interests, a shiksa fiancée and a Jewish lawyer who both appreciate that a person’s actions are not always indicative of their character.
The story is told from Matt’s viewpoint as he mentally unburdens all his frustration, anger, and confusion on a gallery security guard, a guy he mentally addresses as Virgil throughout the nine hours it takes him to narrate the story (on Audible)—conveniently the length of his work shift. Matt tells his tale with sardonic wit and a gradually dawning appreciation for the complexity of the people in his life, a realization that prompts him to question, what makes one life more worth examining than another? The monstrous father, more invested in his model cars than his son, is fleetingly unmasked as a softy just as the Matt begins to recognize him in himself and wonders what he might have been able to achieve if he hadn’t always been waiting for permission to act.
At 271 pages this is a fast-paced, immersive story that will resonate on some level with most readers for its provocative exploration of family legacies and their value. Before starting, though, acclimate your mind to the history and your ear to the accents by watching this four minute film, Hungarian Jewry, Last Victims of the Holocaust at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acIzQXf2d80 .