Unintended consequences

Israeli author releases “The Wolf Hunt,” a razor-sharp, exhausting drama

by Jeffrey Mannix

New, young fiction writers are appearing in numbers the past few years at the preeminent New York and London publishers. They are served up by boutique publishers that typically publish 10 or 20 titles a year by mostly unknown but clearly talented writers with genuine product.

In 2018, Little, Brown and Co. published “Waking Lions,” the second novel by Israeli psychologist, playwright and social activist Ayelet Gundar-Goshen. “Waking Lions” is a spectacular novel about Dr. Eitan Green, who, driving home from a stressful day of hospital work on a meandering road, runs over an immigrant man walking on the side of the road. He stops, gets out of his SUV, walks toward the body on the gravel in the silver light of the moon, observes a dead or nearly dead man and gets back in his car and drives home. He was seen by the man’s wife, and a bargain is soon struck by this crafty refugee woman.

“Waking Lions’’ is not about lions, but about compromise of the kind noone can even predict.

Gundar-Goshen’s second book, “The Liar,” is another knife to the heart. This one is about a chunky, unlovely high school girl working in an ice cream store in summer, unhappily despairing of her lowly position in the hierarchy of school favorites. Her job serving cold, sticky ice cream to unruly children is demeaning, and she is fundamentally distraught over not yet having sex.

This is a narrative stitched together with fine silk thread.

Consequence is Gundar-Goshen’s narrative twine from which she threatens her characters with guilt, fear and ignominy.

You don’t read these first two books at your own peril. And on Aug. 15, Little, Brown and Co. drops GundarGoshen’s third novel, “The Wolf Hunt.’’ You’d be making a mistake not going to Maria’s Bookshop, asking for your 15% Murder Ink discount and ordering “The Wolf Hunt” and the other two books while you’re at it.

“The Wolf Hunt” is not about wolves, just as “Waking Lions” hasn’t anything to do with lions. And this new tale is assembled just as the other Gundar-Goshen novels, with characters facing the black space of consequences, each choice freighted with backwash that lurks for the unexpected, unlucky or unethical. Crime doesn’t always have to be criminal to punish the offender; it can be unintended and lethal as in an accident or be life-changing from lies everyone tells each day.

In “The Wolf Hunt,” Lilach and Mikhael Schuster relocate from Israel to Silicon Valley for an executive position Mikhael, now Michael, has been given with a prosperous tech company.

Lilach becomes by default Leela, and they have a 16-yearold son, Adam, who Leela wants to see absorb the California panache he has been shy of.

Gundar-Goshen’s writing is easy, and looks and reads like a spoken tale. But again, she trades in the peril of unexpected consequences that etch the future with foreboding, then, with the clang of a leg snare, there’s no escaping.

Jamal Jones in Adam’s class bullies Adam for being a Jew while Jamal’s pals laugh. Jamal is a big kid the teachers love and nobody would believe is intolerant of another minority. And one day, Jamal dies in gym class, ostensibly from an overdose of drugs. “The Jew Did It” is scrawled in red paint on the school walls.

The police investigate; Adam withdraws; Leela worries; Michael sends Adam to karate class with Uri Ziv, a fellow veteran of the Israeli army. But the bullying continues as Uri insinuates himself into the family to protect Leela and Adam. And now another string of unintended consequences bubbles up as Leela encourages Michael to convince his company to hire Uri. The plot ratchets up with Adam worshiping the skilled Uri and Uri getting a security-clearance job with Michael’s company.

“The Wolf Hunt” is more subtle with a little less teeth-gnashing than Gundar-Goshen’s two other books, and at first I wasn’t as impressed. But it’s razor-sharp writing and exhausting drama that ends with great surprise. Buy “Waking Lions’’ if you haven’t already, then “The Liar” and then “The Wolf Hunt.” Do not miss Ayelet Gundar-Goshen, and don’t forget to ask Maria’s Bookshop for your 15% Murder Ink discount. ■

Thursday03

Share Your Garden, bring extra fruit and veggies, 8:30 a.m., Animas Valley Grange, 7271 CR 203.

The Jelly Bellys play, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard Ave.

Frontera Bugalú plays, 5:30 p.m., Buckley Park.

Thursday Night Sitting Group, 5:30-6:15 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave, Suite 109.

“American Hospitals: Healing a Broken System,” film screening, 6-8 p.m., Durango Public Library.

Black Velvet plays, 6-8 p.m., Three Springs Plaza.

Ben Gibson plays, 6 p.m., Public House 701, 701 E. 2nd Ave.

Pete Giuliani Trio plays, 6-9 p.m., Durango Hot Springs.

Bluegrass jam, 6 p.m., weekly, Durango Beer & Ice, 3000 Main Ave. All levels welcome.

Jeff Solon Jazz Duo play, 6-8 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.

Trivia Night, 6:30 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1330 Camino del Rio.

First Thursdays Songwriter Night, 7 p.m., the iNDIGO Room, 1315 Main Ave.

Narc, Grim Earth and American Businessman play, 8 p.m., The Hive, 1150 Main Ave.

Hauntings & History Ghost Tour, 8 p.m., Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Depot.

Friday04

Free Friday Yoga, 8:30 a.m., Lively (a boutique), 809 Main Ave.

Carve Wars, 9 a.m., Purgatory Resort.

San Juan Nature Hikes, 9 a.m., Andrews Lake. Hosted by San Juan Mountains Association.

Gary Walker plays, 10 a.m.-12 noon, Jean-Pierre Bakery & Restaurant, 601 Main Ave.

Open Meditation, 12 noon-1 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave, Suite 109.

Pino Nuche Art Market, featuring Native American art and artists, 1-5 p.m., Sky Ute Casino, Ignacio. southernutemuseum.org

Dragon Slayer Beer Release & Knight Fight, 4 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.

Crystal Hartman Pop Up, 4-8 p.m., Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave. Also featuring Grant Pullman in the Recess Gallery.

First Friday Art Crawl, 4-7 p.m., The ArtRoom Collective, Smiley Building, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.

Ben Gibson and Jim Belcher play, 5 p.m., Serious Texas BBQ south, 650 Camino del Rio.

Juanita Nelson’s “Searching for the Light,” art opening, 5-8 p.m., Create Art and Tea, 1015 Main Ave.

Pete Giuliani plays, 5:30 p.m., Public House 701, 701 E. 2nd Ave.

Family Affair Band plays, 6 p.m., Fire Fox Farms, Ignacio.

Hip Hop Night, 7 p.m., The Hive, 1150 Main Ave.

“The Grunch: A New Children’s Musical,” 7 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

Hauntings & History Ghost Tour, 8 p.m., Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Depot.

Saturday05

Durango Farmers Market, 8 a.m., TBK Bank parking lot, 259 W. 9th St.

Carve Wars, 9 a.m., Purgatory Resort.

Arts & Crafts Festival, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Buckley Park.

Pino Nuche Art Market, featuring Native American art and artists, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sky Ute Casino, Ignacio. southernutemuseum.org. Silent auction at Southern Ute Cultural Center & Museum from 6-7:30 p.m.

Rock Fest, featuring 11 local and regional bands, 1-10 p.m., Buckley Park. Benefit for The Hive.

“The Grunch: A New Children’s Musical,” showings at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

Music in the Garden – Manna Soup Kitchen Fundraiser, 4-7 p.m., Manna Soup Kitchen, 1100 Avenida del Sol.

High Altitude Blues play, 6-9 p.m., Weminuche Woodfire Grill, Vallecito.

Ben Gibson Band plays, 6 p.m., Balcony Bar and Grill, 600 Main Ave.

Durango Roller Girls Bout vs. Ark Valley High Rollers, 7 p.m., Chapman Hill.

Community Yoga, 6-7 p.m., Yoga Durango, 1485 Florida Rd. Donations accepted.

Hauntings & History Ghost Tour, 8 p.m., Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Depot.

Sunday06

Pino Nuche Art Market, featuring Native American art and artists, Sky Ute Casino, Ignacio. southernutemuseum.org

Durango Flea Market, 8 a.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.

Veterans Benefit Breakfast, 9 a.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave.

Carve Wars, 9 a.m., Purgatory Resort.

Vinyl Sundaze, 12 noon, Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.

Ben Gibson plays, 12 noon, 11th St. Station.

“The Grunch: A New Children’s Musical,” 2 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

Feed the People! free mutual aid meal & gear drive for homeless community members, every Sunday, 2 p.m., Buckley Park.

Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Sunday Funday, 6 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Monday07

Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.

Meditation and Dharma Talk, 5:30 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave.