One might finish reading this book without realizing that many of the events occur in Ukraine. That family also has a role in the novel, serving as a reminder of what happened to the people Tokarzuk has so painstakingly brought back to life, the fate that Jacob Frank's followers escaped by assimilating. There are many Korolowka’s in Ukraine and Poland but Tokarczuk is describing the site of the Optimistic cave–the largest in Europe–where a family of Jews hid during the Holocaust. The village is located in Ternopil oblast’ in Ukraine. It is called Korolówka in the book, but Korolivka in Ukrainian. Yes–even the location where Yenta lived and where she was placed in the cave. It takes place in Kamianets-Podilsky, the northernmost reach of the Ottoman Empire in Europe. Yes–even that location where the statue of the Virgin Mary was placed on top of the minaret. Many of the locations described in The Books of Jacob are located in modern-day Ukraine. Some parts, however, became a part of the Russian Empire. The last partition of Poland took place in 1795, which is when some land described in the story became the Austrian Empire. The New York Times review stated that Jacob Frank was “a young Jew who travels through the Habsburg and Ottoman empires, attracting and repelling crowds and authorities in equal measure.” While Jacob indeed traveled through the Ottoman Empire and very briefly through the Habsburg Empire, most of his travels were actually through the Polish Commonwealth, which was still independent at the time of this story. Still, some of the more crucial moments were misinterpreted by or confusing for my fellow readers.Ĭonfusion over geography and history was further evident in reviews in the western press for the English translation. There is certainly plenty of material that any reader can appreciate without knowing all of the historical context. The experience of reading it alongside readers who are removed from Central European history opened my eyes to how much they were struggling with the context of the novel. This time around I decided to join a reading club. Having first read this book in Ostap Slyvynsky’s stellar Ukrainian translation, I am now slowly re-reading it in a translation by Jennifer Croft, a fantastic interpreter bringing Tokarczuk’s work to English readers. Olga Tokarczuk’s glorious 900-page epic on the cult of Jacob Frank in 18th century Poland has finally reached English-speaking readers in the UK and the US.
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