The Lampmaker

Inspired by his grandfather's life story, author Ian Assersohn has brought the world of late nineteenth century Russian and English Jewry to life in a debut novel full of life, love, tragedy and humour.

The story of The Lampmaker begins in the northwest corner of Czarist Russia, present-day Latvia, in the last decades of the nineteenth century. It concerns the adventures of two young Jewish boys, Rafael Yacobsohn and his younger brother Yossel.

Their parents, Itzhak and Scheine, struggle to make a living and keep their boys safe against a background of anti-Jewish repression and violence. Their biggest fear is that one of the boys will be conscripted into the Russian army when they reach the age of twelve. If taken, they will serve a twenty-five year term - if they survive that long.

Desperate to avoid finding their sons' names on the conscription list, Itzhak and Scheine devise a plan to save them. But will it work?

Rafael and Yossel's search for safety and freedom takes them first to Riga, and ultimately to the overcrowded squalor of Victorian London's East End. To have any chance of survival they must rely on hard work, luck, and a healthy dose of chutzpah.

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The Lampmaker

Inspired by his grandfather's life story, author Ian Assersohn has brought the world of late nineteenth century Russian and English Jewry to life in a debut novel full of life, love, tragedy and humour.

The story of The Lampmaker begins in the northwest corner of Czarist Russia, present-day Latvia, in the last decades of the nineteenth century. It concerns the adventures of two young Jewish boys, Rafael Yacobsohn and his younger brother Yossel.

Their parents, Itzhak and Scheine, struggle to make a living and keep their boys safe against a background of anti-Jewish repression and violence. Their biggest fear is that one of the boys will be conscripted into the Russian army when they reach the age of twelve. If taken, they will serve a twenty-five year term - if they survive that long.

Desperate to avoid finding their sons' names on the conscription list, Itzhak and Scheine devise a plan to save them. But will it work?

Rafael and Yossel's search for safety and freedom takes them first to Riga, and ultimately to the overcrowded squalor of Victorian London's East End. To have any chance of survival they must rely on hard work, luck, and a healthy dose of chutzpah.

6.99 In Stock
The Lampmaker

The Lampmaker

by Ian Assersohn
The Lampmaker

The Lampmaker

by Ian Assersohn

eBook

$6.99 

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Overview

Inspired by his grandfather's life story, author Ian Assersohn has brought the world of late nineteenth century Russian and English Jewry to life in a debut novel full of life, love, tragedy and humour.

The story of The Lampmaker begins in the northwest corner of Czarist Russia, present-day Latvia, in the last decades of the nineteenth century. It concerns the adventures of two young Jewish boys, Rafael Yacobsohn and his younger brother Yossel.

Their parents, Itzhak and Scheine, struggle to make a living and keep their boys safe against a background of anti-Jewish repression and violence. Their biggest fear is that one of the boys will be conscripted into the Russian army when they reach the age of twelve. If taken, they will serve a twenty-five year term - if they survive that long.

Desperate to avoid finding their sons' names on the conscription list, Itzhak and Scheine devise a plan to save them. But will it work?

Rafael and Yossel's search for safety and freedom takes them first to Riga, and ultimately to the overcrowded squalor of Victorian London's East End. To have any chance of survival they must rely on hard work, luck, and a healthy dose of chutzpah.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781068429514
Publisher: Limetree Books
Publication date: 03/18/2025
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 312
File size: 352 KB

About the Author

Ian Assersohn is descended from Latvian and Polish immigrants and was brought up by Jewish parents in North London. He was educated at Westminster School, the Royal College of Music in London and Koninklijk Conservatorium in The Hague. He worked in the IT industry for twenty years and left in 2009 to pursue a career as a composer, choral director and piano teacher. He is the author of a number of short stories, poems and song lyrics, and has composed extensively for choirs. His music is published by Oxford University Press and also by his own imprint, Apple Tree Music. The Lampmaker is his first novel.
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