it is hard for an american gentile to understand the workings of the Hasidic Jewish community that exist in this country. in this book Potok opened up the wonders of these Jewish communities and translated the mystery behind them for the world to see by the everyday life through the eyes of a child and tracks the effects of this religious life as the child grows into a man. what appealed to me was that this gifted child was filled with all the fears and wonders that everyone feels, and he feels all the love and devotion to the pivital figures in his life the same as everyone else. this is Potok's best and most wonderful example of growing up with an artistic gift, and the passions that possess the spirit as we cultivate that gift. all of this is written in a brutally honest narrative that enthralled me. this is by far and away my favorite of Potok's books.