Tevye's Daughters

Book excerpt: Tevye's Daughters is the book that was made into the blockbuster play and movie, "Fiddler on the Roof." This movie brought us such famous and universally recognizable songs as "If I were a Rich Man," "Matchmaker, Matchmaker Make me a Match," "Tradition" and "Sunrise, Sunset." Trvye the dairyman is one of the most delightful and amusing characters in all of fiction, and this chronicle of Tevye and his daughters is, beyond question, the great Jewish humorist's masterpiece. Tevye was baffled by his daughters. That he had seven daughters and no sons-well, that was God's will, and Tevye loved them all dearly. And the girls-ah, their world revolved around papa and they gave him all their devotion. But as they grew up, they saw that the world was big and changing, that there were other ideas and other people. What made it so difficult for Tevye was not that they were such fine and lovely girls - dark-eyed Beilke, laughing Sprintze, brave Hodel - but that they had minds and wills of their own. Tevye couldn't quite understand that - it wasn't supposed to be that way. His gay heart was heavy at times, and the girls mixed tears with their laughter. When you have read this book, you will know why many Jews refer to Sholom Aleichem not as "the great Jewish humorist," but rather as one of "the greatest writers of our time." There are short stories in this book too: "If I Were Rothschild," "The Littlest of Kings," and a dozen others that display Sholom Aleichem's wonderful storytelling gift at its best.