The American Jewish community assisted those who wished to come to the United States – and Canada – where David Bezmozgis himself ended up. Many of those who left in the 1970’s travelled through Austria and simply detoured, seeking a way to get to the United States. They were not allowed to freely leave their country until the late 1960’s when there was a new policy allowing Jews to leave Russia to reunite with family members living in Israel. Their lives in Russia were not free – but they were not necessarily worse than the lives of any Soviet citizen. This fictional family is most likely somewhat based on Bezmozgis’ own family and others like them. I thought of these people as I read The Free World. What I remember most about the evening is that they complained about what they had found their lives to be like in the short time they had been in Canada as compared to their lives in Russia. They were parents and a teenage son who spoke some English.

One year at the height of the Jewish Russian immigration to Canada my in-law’s invited a family who had recently arrived to share the Passover Seder with us. These are people leaving the Soviet Union of the late 20 th century, people who often have little connection to their Jewish “faith” but have difficulties because of it regardless. The Free World is definitely worth reading but the reviews led me expect more.ĭavid Bezmozgis writes about a world unfamiliar to most of us – his is the world of the modern Jewish Russian immigrant. I’ve been surprised more than once at the popularity of a novel that didn’t do much for me. The reviews are written early on and it is not until a novel is out there being read that it is really known if readers actually like it, so we’ll see with this one. Yes he’s a terrific writer, but is The Free World a “great” novel – I’m undecided. So here is his first novel – here are the great reviews – and I am underwhelmed. I had such expectations not only because of the reviews but also because I was one of those who celebrated his earlier work, Natasha & Other Stories, a wonderful collection published in 2004. I picked up this book expecting to be swept away by the story and the writing. His novel The Free World is garnering rave reviews in all the serious papers. David Bezmozgis is doing very well these days.

The Free World by David Bezmozgis