Praise for His Hundred Years, A Tale

“What a journey! His Hundred Years is rowdy and absorbing, modern and ancient, provocative and calm.”
—Tovah Feldshuh, actor of screen and stage

“A graceful, witty, and bittersweet story. In recounting the adventures of her irresistible, funny, and indomitable polyglot hero, Shalach Manot both recreates the world of Turkish Jewry and makes an original and compelling contribution to American immigrant literature.”
—Elisabeth Gitter, author of The Imprisoned Guest

“A fine, high, wonderful book, poised, pitch perfect. The voice is unflappable, unobtrusive yet always firmly in control and correct, the sweep of history done with impeccable ease and (for the reader) unending fascination.”
—Eric Larsen, Editor, The Oliver Arts & Open Press

“The ‘arsenic of frustration’ and the rush of love cooked into the same meal—many small portions create a reading feast in this tale by Shalach Manot. Nobody and somebody can change places in a second or a hundred years. This story shares the pain of exclusion, reminding us that sometimes we may be the ones doing the excluding. If our survival depends on our ability to see the world from the perspective of ‘the other,’ His Hundred Years is an exercise that beautifully illuminates the life forces that shape us.”
—Reiner Leist, author of American Portraits and Another Country

“A beautifully compelling family drama set in Turkey and New York. It is episodically told and the pieces fall elegantly into place to create a satisfying whole. This is a very Turkish novel, and calls to mind the work of Orhan Pamuk. It is that good!”
—Ari Goldman, author of The Search for God at Harvard

“The life of a salesman, Turkish style—this man is very different from Willy Loman and he’s from a different part of the world… [The] main character, never given a name and first identified as ‘the boy,’ is a survivor who begins and ends his life as a peddler, a salesman. In fact, selling pervades this book from beginning to end, as a kind of crazy passion… a brilliantly told tale.”
—Walter Zev Feldman, author of Music of the Ottoman Court

“Welcome Judeo-Spanish-American literature rooted in Asia Minor.”
—Richard Kostelanetz, artist/writer

“An extraordinary story told in an unusual way. As in oral folktales, events are transmitted to us through the mediation of a storyteller. But the stream of the narration is modern, non-linear. Combining the elements of two traditions, the oral folktale and the modern novel, Shalach Manot offers us something truly innovative.”
—Eliezer Papo, Director, The Sephardic Studies Research Institute, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

“This fascinating book by gifted writer and story teller Shalach Manot reflects on the life of an unusual Sephardic man, his childhood in Turkey, and later, his adaptation to life in America. We follow his adventures and come away with a deeper appreciation and understanding of the Sephardic immigrant experience during the 20th century.”
—Marc D. Angel, author of The Crown of Solomon and Other Stories

“Shalach Manot’s tale is an extraordinary book of hours, sparklingly composed of twenty-eight jeweled miniatures, altogether painting a fine life of consequence and sweetness.”
—Rickie Solinger, award-winning historian

“Idiosyncratic, memorable—a pleasure!”
—Kelly Anderson, director of the documentary, My Brooklyn

“Sensitive and gripping portraits of diverse Turkish Jewish women caught in a patriarchal system.”
—Gloria J. Ascher, Professor and Co-Director of Judaic Studies, Tufts University
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“Turkish Delight”
—Sarah Aroeste, Ladino singer/songwriter
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