Ein Makon Kaze by Shifra Kornfeld

אין מקום כזה is a poignant narrative that delves into the breakdown of the Herman family. The story begins with the parents’ divorce, which leads to a division of the children between them, but the cracks had already appeared much earlier. Once something breaks, it can never truly be whole again.

The protagonist reflects on her years with her partner, discovering how easy it was to separate the life they built. The soft-covered books, paintings, and other possessions she took with her symbolize the parts she managed to salvage, while the heavier, more valuable objects were left behind. As the mother, haunted by memories of the past and fears of the future, decides to flee with her two young daughters to her sister in Canada, the family is once again shattered. This time, however, it is permanent, and the fragments tell the story, which spans two decades and two continents, from Jerusalem to Toronto, from sacred to secular.

With a sweeping and captivating momentum, Shifra Kornfeld masterfully weaves multiple perspectives and connects the characters through hidden threads of emotion, beauty, pain, and honesty. She beautifully portrays the fragmentation of the nuclear family and traces the paths of the particles scattered across the world.

Shifra Kornfeld is a writer and media professional. Ein Makon Kaze is her second novel.