The Jewel Trader of Pegu: A Novel (2008)

Slow paced but it fits the slow inner discovery of freedom that Abraham finds so exhilarating. This shadow of a man who slept walk through his life (his own words) finds his place at the end of the world at the turn of the 16th century.

The letters Abraham writes to his cousin Joseph take the reader through the long journey Abraham takes on from dutiful nephew going to the end of the world to trade for priceless jewels to free thinking man, alive and feeling every single beat of his heart and every breath he takes. Of course, he meets the exotic and wonderful foreign girl that changes his life but Jeffrey Hantover goes beyond the cliché and makes you care about Abraham inner turmoils.

A solid 3 stars. ( )

*A Gem of a Masterpiece*
Jeffrey Hantover is what I call a Word Weaver. He has the incredible rare talent of blending words and phrases, creating sentences and paragraphs so beautiful it almost makes you weep for the experience of reading his work. This novel is beyond beautiful, a book as shining as the jewels he writes about. The reader immediately gets pulled in with evocative descriptions of the lush and exotic world of Pegu, its flora and fauna, its people and culture. Our main character Abraham is a quiet and solemn soul, and is a man of few words because of the unfortunate life he lives as a Jew amongst Christians in his home land of Venice.

The author offers informative and vivid portrayals of how the Jews were cruelly treated and ostracized in 16th century Italy. When Abraham sets his feet on Burmese soil, his sense of craved freedom breathes life into his heart and into his story. Lost and uncertain in a strange land, alien to these new surroundings and odd cultural ways, Abraham soon finds peace and serenity among beautiful people of Buddhist faith. Again his religion clashes against another, but here he is treated with respect and love and feels freedom unbound. I felt while reading this story that I WAS Abraham, instead of the usual reader experience of watching the story unfold as an outsider on the sidelines. I saw what he saw, felt what he felt, smelled what he smelled. This style of writing reeks of talent so rare. Our Abraham soon meets Mya, a young Burmese woman, under peculiar circumstances that challenge Abraham's faith, views of life and love, and his beliefs of what is right and wrong. But, as he and Mya learn about each other's worlds, obstacles are easily overcome and their love prevails. This novel is like a masterpiece of art, one you will read more than once just to experience again and again the exquisite blend of the alluring and mysterious setting, with the deep sensual characters, both so rich in life. There is great wisdom, philosophy and love here in this tale, dont' miss this literary gem. It truly sparkles! ( )

The Jewel Trader of Pegu is an odd book. It tells the story of a sixteenth century jeweler from Venice. Abraham is sent to Pegu (now known as Bago, a city in Myanmar) to purchase precious stones for the family business. Abraham is Jewish, and the customs of the Buddhists of Pegu are baffling to him.

Abraham hires Win, a local broker, to help him navigate the markets of Pegu. It has taken Abraham a year to travel to Pegu, and he will spend a year there before journeying back to Venice. Win also helps Abraham navigate the strange world of daily life in Pegu.

Jeffrey Hantover seems to have invented a very strange and unbelievable world in The Jewel Trader of Pegu. I really did not care much for this book. I did finish it because it was a selection for my book club, but I’m glad I borrowed it from the library and I don’t recommend it. ( )

This book started off so strong, with a great premise. A 16th C. Venetian Jewish Trader travels the sea based silk route to the SE Asia in search of new goods. Well written very detailed, where the book got lost in the invention of the fictional kingdom of Pegu lacking details and connected historical references that are the hallmark of great historical fiction. From the middle all the way to the end this dragged the book down.

Abraham is a devout Italian Jew of the sixteenth century. He travels to strange and exotic places as a jewel trader for his uncle's business. No matter how far from the eyes of fellow worshippers or in what circumstances he find himself, he continues his morning prayers and religious rituals. He deals honestly in business and tries to be kind and tolerant even in unusual circumstances. When he reaches the Burmese port city of Pegu in 1598 he expects to remain the man he is. But a shocking stumbling block to his faith will be put squarely in his path and how he handles it will affect his being tolerated in this strange kingdom and how well he will do in business. He struggles fiercely against compromise for some time.

Told entirely through the daily letters home to his beloved cousin Joseph, it is at once an adventure and a compelling story about what is really important to us. How far would we would go to experience and keep true love? When the pressure to follow the local custom of deflowering young brides to bring luck to the families becomes intolerable he reasons with himself "The law and my heart must be one. How could I follow my heart and betray the law and still call myself a Jew? But how could the law demand I betray my heart? I would be lost if I had to do either." The Jewel Trader of Pegu is not about sex as some have imagined. It's about the moral dilemma of a man who wants to do the right thing. The choice Abraham makes will change his life forever.

This is sensitive story telling, often with profound philosophical or spiritual insights into the differences of religion, culture and social customs. Abraham slowly realizes that it's not really his place to judge these people who tattoo their legs with grotesques images, or scar their faces and blacken their teeth. He is surprised to find himself beginning to view their customs and Buddhist thinking in a different light. Though he will be happy to finish his uncle's business and leave for home. Then war, along with looting and reprisals threaten the town. All other foreigners have reasonably fled for home but Abraham has suddenly and unexpectedly found, in a young widow named Mya, a reason for staying and risking everything.

This is one of the best novels I've read this year. A gem of a story, I give it five stars and my highest recommendation.

http://freshinkbooks.blogspot.com/2009/07/jewel-trader-of-pegu-by-jeffrey.html ( )