Bibliofemme Reviews
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The History of Love by Nicole Krauss 
(Published by Penguin Books Ltd)
A book-within-a-book - also called The History of Love - links elderly Jewish man Leo Gursky and fellow New Yorker, 14-year-old Alma Singer.
Having survived World War II in Poland, Leo has a fear of dying unnoticed and is constantly, albeit quietly, seeking attention. Alma, who lost her father when she was seven, is a precocious child who keeps a notebook called How to Survive in the Wild and compiles obsessive lists.
Tying these disparate narrators together is Zvi Litvinoff, a Pole living in Chile and the author of the book-within-a-book. How the three are linked is something that should only emerge as you read the book and immerse yourself in their lives. To say much more would only spoil it.
Far from a conventional love story, The History of Love is, instead, an inventive and memorable glimpse into several perfect moments. Engaging and absorbing.
April 2006
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