Loosely based on the story of Eisner's wife's family, this epic tale spanning three generations of power and privilege explores wealth, marriage, and jealousy in a sprawling American dynasty.
Library Journal
The legendary Eisner (b. 1917) created one of the most celebrated and enduring series of comics' Golden Age, The Spirit (1940-52); wrote an important analysis of the medium, Comics and Sequential Art; and is credited with coining the term graphic novel to describe his 1977 book A Contract with God (actually a book of four short stories). The Eisner Awards are named after him, and this book won him one-the 2002 Eisner for best new graphic album. It tells the story of the Arnheim family, German Jews who immigrated to America in the mid-1800s, through four generations of wealth, death, disaster, and marital strife. Eisner's vividly expressive characters show the reader the lives of immigrant families who suffer from "the uncertain feeling of being Jewish in a Christian world," as Eisner puts it. Mature situations and themes make this most suitable for adults, for whom it is highly recommended. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
