From the Hollow of a Sling — Paul Simei-Barton
ISBN: 9781788648707
£13.99
Vienna 1919, a nation tastes the bitterness of defeat. Karl Popper embraces socialist revolution while his sister, Hanya, joins a dance troupe and falls for Popper’s friend Max. But paths are rarely straight.
After the brutal repression of a revolutionary uprising, Popper finds his epiphanies in Einstein’s groundbreaking science. With romance foundering Hanya throws herself into Berlin’s wild night life and Max falls under the spell of Gershom Scholem’s esoteric Kabbalah teachings. Facing rabid antisemitism they risk a perilous crossing into Switzerland, while Popper finds sanctuary in New Zealand, working tirelessly to help unwanted Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution.
But not everyone can be saved.
And how will Max’s faith in the power of the Kabbalah stand up against the rigorous logic of Popper’s political philosophy?
In the Hollow of a Sling is an immersive love story showing us why ideas matter and why history is present and urgent.
Author biography
Paul Simei-Barton lives and works in Aotearoa New Zealand. His maternal grandmother Bida was born and raised in the pioneering Jewish settlement of Zichron Yaakov. With his partner Justine he founded Tala Pasifika Productions, a community based theatre company which produced several of his stage plays, short film scripts and TV drama. For 14 years he was theatre reviewer for the NZ Herald.