The Flower of God

Book excerpt: Flower of God tells the story of the author¿s paternal ancestral family from the time of the Temple of Solomon to the present: their migration from ancient Israel to Babylon, to Persia, to Anatolia, to Europe and finally to the United States. Dr. Herbert Ausubel¿s saga of his family history is a captivating story of the Jewish experience, at once universal and unique. It is Everyman¿s tale, and the family¿s struggles are immediately recognized by anyone who knows something of the immigrant¿s journey, whatever the ethnicity. It is easy to empathize with the characters because Ausubel captures their humanity, and their difficult search for a hard-won life of dignity, purpose and acceptance. This book is a testament to the unbelievable courage of the Jewish people and the indomitable human spirit. William Faulkner¿s marvelous Nobel Prize acceptance speech provides the perfect summary of their struggle: ¿We will not merely endure, we will prevail.¿