The Prison Minyan
Published on 13. January 2022
Book
Paperback/Softback
288 pages
978-1-78563-275-4 (ISBN)
Description
The scene is Otisville Prison, upstate New York. A crew of fraudsters, tax evaders, trigamists and forgers discuss matters of right and wrong in a Talmudic study and prayer group, or 'minyan', led by a rabbi who's a fellow convict.
As the only prison in the federal system with a kosher deli, Otisville is the penitentiary of choice for white-collar Jewish offenders, many of whom secretly like the place. They've learned to game the system, so when the regime is toughened to punish a newly arrived celebrity convict who has upset the 45th president, they find devious ways to fight back.
Shadowy forces up the ante by trying to 'Epstein' - ie assassinate - the newcomer, and visiting poetry professor Deborah Liston ends up in dire peril when she sees too much. She has helped the minyan look into their souls. Will they now step up to save her?
Jonathan Stone brings the sensibility of Saul Bellow and Philip Roth to the post-truth era in a sharply comic novel that is also wise, profound and deeply moral.
As the only prison in the federal system with a kosher deli, Otisville is the penitentiary of choice for white-collar Jewish offenders, many of whom secretly like the place. They've learned to game the system, so when the regime is toughened to punish a newly arrived celebrity convict who has upset the 45th president, they find devious ways to fight back.
Shadowy forces up the ante by trying to 'Epstein' - ie assassinate - the newcomer, and visiting poetry professor Deborah Liston ends up in dire peril when she sees too much. She has helped the minyan look into their souls. Will they now step up to save her?
Jonathan Stone brings the sensibility of Saul Bellow and Philip Roth to the post-truth era in a sharply comic novel that is also wise, profound and deeply moral.
Reviews / Votes
'Erudite, trenchant and touching, with a premise that the young Philip Roth would have envied' - Michael Arditti; 'Delectable...glorious...this most cherishably Jewish of books' - Jewish Chronicle; 'Warm, insightful, wise and very funny. Jonathan Stone has created a remarkably appealing community of prison inmates and staff. Quite brilliant'- Abi Silver; 'To the best of my knowledge, The Prison Minyan is the first fiction written about the lives of Jewish criminals that is set in a uniquely Jewish prison. This book has abundant humour and a light touch but it also raises some serious issues, such as the true cost of a life of crime; the meaning of loyalty; antisemitism; morality; and the power of poetry - and words in general - to transform one's life. An intriguing and enjoyable read' - Nora Gold; Praise for Jonathan Stone: ; 'Die Next is the model of a brilliant and stylish thriller! Rich with character development and it's-like-I'm-there settings, the novel is an adrenaline rush between covers. Bravo!'- Jeffery Deaver, author of The Bone Collector and The Goodbye Man, on Die Next ; 'Stone plays cruel and cunning mind games.' - The New York Times Book Review on Die Next; 'Stone belongs with the elite of current mystery writers... He should not be missed.' - Publishers Weekly on Die Next ; 'Crisp, elegant prose distinguishes this exceptional crime thriller from Stone.' -Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Moving Day ; 'A spellbinding ride.' -Library Journal, starred review, on Moving Day; 'A true page-turner, sure to appeal to Harlan Coben and Laura Lippman fans.' -Booklist on Moving Day; 'Stone creates the kind of people who can make a reader turn pages.'-Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on The Heat of Lies; 'Audacity can be a welcome ingredient in a mystery, especially when it's couple with a ferocious literary talent...it's a great, devilish pleasure.' - Chicago Tribune on The Heat of LiesMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Much Wenlock
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Eye Books
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 129 mm
Width: 197 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
288 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78563-275-4 (9781785632754)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Jonathan Stone recently retired from a 40-year career in advertising. He was the creative director at a New York advertising agency and did most of his fiction writing on the commuter train between the Connecticut suburbs and Manhattan. Of his nine published novels, several are currently optioned for film: Moving Day is set up as a feature at Lionsgate Entertainment, Days of Night has been optioned by New Republic Pictures, and Parting Shot has been optioned by Marc Platt Productions. A graduate of Yale, Jon is married, with a son and daughter. He lives in New Canaan, Connecticut.