The Dead Man

“Gold adventures in difficult emotional terrain and achieves something beautiful, transformative, and life-affirming. The conclusion of The Dead Man elevates and transforms all the events of the novel. It is as if Eve (the heroine) and the reader had traveled a tortuous terrain, paying attention to every step but not noticing that they were ascending. Now that the summit has been reached, the look back reveals not ugliness but beauty.”
– Maria Bloshteyn, Los Angeles Review of Books

“The Dead Man is a wonderfully affecting, memorable, and original tale. Nora Gold is a natural storyteller, and her ability to make us understand the shimmering and complex landscape of love has its haunting echoes in the Israeli landscape. This is an ingeniously and gorgeously crafted story, radiantly musical in its rich textures.”
– Jay Neugeboren, author of The Stolen Jew, Imagining Robert, and Max Baer and the Star of David

The Dead Man was chosen as one of the “Top 10 Books of 2017” by UK book blogger “Left on the Shelf” (along with David Grossman’s A Horse Walks Into A Bar and 8 others)

The Dead Man is a compelling novel about a woman who is obsessed. Eve, who is both a composer of sacred music and a music therapist, is well aware of the saying, “Physician, heal thyself,” but she just can’t seem to do this. For some unknown reason, she — a sensible, intelligent professional — cannot recover from a brief relationship she had five years ago with a world-famous music critic named Jake. She also cannot finish the music composition she started around then. This obsession with Jake is a mystery to Eve’s friends, and also to her. In an attempt to put this relationship behind her, she returns to Israel where Jake still lives, and where they first fell in love. There she revisits all their old haunts, and gradually the dark mystery behind their complex relationship begins to unravel.

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The Dead Man, with the support of a Translation Grant from Canada Council for the Arts, was published in Hebrew as  האיש המת.

Interview (in English) on Israeli national radio: Gold was interviewed about האיש המת on כאן (the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation), on the English-language nightly news program. September 12, 2019.

The Dead Man in Hebrew, האיש המת, was listed as a recommended book in Yediot Ahronot national newspaper: Yediot Ahronot recommends האיש המת in its weekend literary supplement, מוסף 7 לילות. August 30, 2019.

Interview (in Hebrew) on Israeli national radio: Gold was interviewed about האיש המת on כאן (the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation) on the literary program מה שכרוך עם יובל אביבי ומיה סלע. (Her segment runs from 21:07-34:33; the interview is in Hebrew). August 19, 2019.

Jerusalem Post article: An article about האיש המת in the Jerusalem Post. August 15, 2019.

Video: Dorit Rabinyan reads an excerpt from  האיש המת, Nora Gold’s The Dead Man in Hebrew, at the book launch of האיש המת at Sipur Pashut bookstore in Tel Aviv, August 1, 2019.

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Praise for The Dead Man


Nora Gold writes brilliantly, both when she describes sensual experiences and physical surroundings, and when she’s detailing the workings of the heart and the mind, and the frequent conflict between the two. She brilliantly evokes music to convey emotions, mood, even physical relationships, which is a fascinating and novel way of conveying sensations, feelings, and intellectual life – in fact the whole gamut of human experience. A marvelous book.
– Alice Shalvi, Israel Prize laureate

The Dead Man is terrific. Eve, a composer obsessed with a former lover, pulls us deep into her evolution, thanks to astute, compassionate novelist Nora Gold. This compelling story is a must-read for anyone fascinated by the complexity of male-female relationships and the mysterious radioactivity of love.
– Susan Weidman Schneider, Editor-in-Chief, Lilith Magazine

Nora Gold’s The Dead Man is absorbing and very, very real. Gold writes with great accuracy and energy. I admire her understanding, the tension she creates, and the reality of her characters.”
– Anne Roiphe, author of Ballad of the Black and Blue Mind

Nora Gold’s writing is beautiful, nuanced, and honest. The Dead Man is an intelligent novel about love and art, and the passions that fuel them. Set against the backdrop of contemporary Israel, The Dead Man portrays a talented, obsessed composer, and offers a rare glimpse into the fascinating world of sacred Jewish music.
– Ayelet Tsabari, author of The Best Place on Earth

The Dead Man is a powerful story about a woman’s struggle with love and loss, and how her art—her music—becomes both the expression of, and antidote, to the darkness she has felt. This is a wonderful story about resilience, about the ability of the human spirit not only to repair and redeem itself, but—even more—to triumph over darkness and adversity.
– Joseph Kertes, author of Gratitude and The Afterlife of Stars

Nora Gold writes with consummate skill. She’s the real thing.
– George Jonas, author, poet, journalist

The Dead Man is an excellent novel.
– Naim Kattan, author of Farewell Babylon

Nora Gold has an eye and ear for colourful detail in this novel about the creative process, lifting the veil on unknown corners of the world of Jewish music.
– Charles Heller, author of What To Listen For in Jewish Music

Reviews, News, Mentions, Blogs

Reviews: 

  • Review of האיש המת (The Dead Man in Hebrew) in Iton 77, the Israeli literary journal – January 2020
  • University of Toronto Quarterly. “Established Fiction.” – Summer, 2018
  • Canadian Literature. “Hath Not A Jew.” – December, 2017
  • Los Angeles Review of Books. “Gold adventures in difficult emotional terrain and achieves something beautiful, transformative, and life-affirming.” – Maria Bloshteyn, April 17, 2017
  • Women in Judaism – “A fascinating novel of psychological drama. Keeps readers sitting on the edge of their chairs.” – Published 2017 (Issue 13/2)
  • Left on the Shelf Book Blog. “I was enthralled by this book. I am delighted to find an author who writes with such intelligence, sensitivity, and passion.” – January 5, 2017
  • JewFem. “Gold’s writing is evocative and full of emotive flair as she navigates the intricacies of the human psyche.” – December 15, 2016
  • NewPages. “Gold’s writing is lyrical and elegant and this book will capture the hearts of readers, musicians, and travelers alike.” – December 1, 2016
  • Lilith. “Breaks the mold. Unusual. Refreshing to read a story of romantic obsession about a 50-year-old woman.” – October 26, 2016
  • Canadian Woman Studies. “The Dead Man is as impressive as Gold’s first novel in its thought-provoking subject matter.” – October 11, 2016
  • Olivia Savannah (Holland). “An incredible read. Gold’s writing style is beautiful. A fantastic book I highly recommend.” – October 9, 2016
  • Ottawa Jewish Bulletin. “A finely crafted and compelling novel.” – August 17, 2016
  • Compulsive Reader. “Nora Gold knows her craft. The Dead Man is a must-read.” – August 15, 2016
  • Facebook (Azriel Fellner). “Nora Gold is a fine novelist who deserves a large audience of readers. Her characters remind us that the issues of love, loss, memory, passion, and creativity can be seen from a fresh perspective.”  – July 8, 2016
  • Huffington Post. “Impressive. Gold accomplishes much in this slender novel. The Dead Man offers many pleasures.” – July 6, 2016
  • The Jerusalem Post. “Beautifully written. A captivating story with fascinating psychological insight and a good dose of humor.” – June 3, 2016
  • The Miramichi Reader. “The Dead Man is a lovingly well-written and fascinating novel of a woman’s recovery from years of grief.” – May 15, 2016
  • The Toronto Star. “The Dead Man offers fascinating glimpses of life in Israel and the world of music academia. An unforgettable journey.”  – May 1, 2016


Interviews, News, and Mentions: 

  • July 2021 – Mentioned in the  Hadassah Magazine article, “Must-Reads for Jewish Women,” by Sandee Brawarsky.
  • November 11, 2020 – Featured by The Miramichi Reader as one of two Canadian Jewish authors it is highlighting this month in honour of Jewish Book Month
  • Interview on Goodreads, “Interview With An Author” with Lisa de Nikolits, April 30, 2020.
  • The Dead Man was chosen as one of the “Top 10 Books of 2017” by UK book blogger “Left on the Shelf” (along with David Grossman’s book)
  • Interview with Radio Sefarad (Madrid, Spain) – December 27, 2017
  • Interview with The Times of Israel about Jewish fiction – August 6, 2017
  • Podcast interview with The Strong Women’s Club (its series on Inspiring Women) – First aired July 7, 2017
  • Contributing author to the “150 authors for Canada 150” project of 49th Shelf and Amazon. (See recommendation #70.) – July 1, 2017
  • Gold’s story “Yosepha” was published in The New Spice Box, an anthology of Canadian Jewish writing – June 2017
  • Radio interview on “Finding A Voice” Literary Program, CFRC (Kingston, Queen’s University): An Interview with Nora Gold – February 10, 2017
  • The Winnipeg Review – “Almost Perfect Symmetry”: An Interview with Nora Gold – January 16, 2017
  • Musical Toronto – “Ho Ho Ho or Oh No No? The Problem with Christmas Music Programming” – November 30, 2016
  • Canadian Jewish News – “Highlights of the Fourth Annual Jewish Book Festival” – November 9, 2016
  • “In Character” Interview with Open Book Toronto – October 20, 2016
  • An excerpt from The Dead Man read by Nora Gold on YouTube. (With her in the video is Alice Shalvi.) – August 25, 2016
  • The Dead Man is included in A Bibliography of Musical Fiction by John R. Gibbs of University of Washington – September, 2016
  • The Dead Man was discussed on CBC Radio’s “Home Run” program, with Sue Smith and Richard King – May 11, 2016
  • The Dead Man was selected for the 49th Shelf‘s list of “Most Anticipated Spring 2016 Fiction” – May 2, 2016
  • Literary Press Group – “New and Notable Spring 2016 Books.” – May 2016
  • NewPages – “New Fiction Arrivals” – May 2016
  • Quill & Quire – “Spring Preview 2016 – Fiction.” – May 2016
  • All Lit Up – “Books Tagged: Contemporary Women.” – May 2016
  • Jewish Book World – May 2016
  • The Canadian Jewish News published Chapter One of The Dead Man in its 2016 Passover Literary Supplement – April 20, 2016
  • Jewish Fiction .net published Chapter One of The Dead Man in its Pesach 2016 Issue – April 19, 2016


Blogs:

News and Upcoming Events

THE DEAD MAN, WITH A TRANSLATION GRANT FROM CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS, HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN HEBREW: האיש המת

Pictures

Wonderful Women Writers Series - April 19, 2016 (with Gail Benick , Cynthia Holz, Dawn Promislow)
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Videos

Dorit Rabinyan reads an excerpt from האיש המת, Nora Gold’s The Dead Man in Hebrew, at the book launch of האיש המת at Sipur Pashut bookstore in Tel Aviv, August 1, 2019.
Nora Gold reads an excerpt from her novel, The Dead Man, at her Israeli book launch on August 25, 2016. With her in this video is Professor Alice Shalvi, who (in an earlier video) introduced Gold and offered some insights about The Dead Man.