Blum, Isaac

Isaac Blum is a writer and educator. He’s taught English at several colleges and universities and Orthodox Jewish and public schools. The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen (Philomel Books) is his debut novel. Hoodie Rosen’s life isn’t that bad. Sure, his entire Orthodox Jewish community has just picked up and moved to the quiet, mostly non-Jewish town of Tregaron, but Hoodie’s world hasn’t changed that much. He’s got basketball to play, studies to avoid, and a supermarket full of delicious kosher snacks to eat. The people of Tregaron aren’t happy that so many Orthodox Jews are moving in, but that’s not Hoodie’s problem. That is, until he meets and falls for Anna-Marie Diaz-O’Leary – who happens to be the daughter of the obstinate mayor trying to keep Hoodie’s community out of the town. And things only get more complicated when a series of antisemitic crimes hit Tregaron, and they quickly escalate to deadly violence. Suddenly, Hoodie’s community turns on him for siding with the enemy, and he finds himself caught between his first love and the only world he’s ever known.